Futurity · Health

Study Rewrites Bat Family Tree, Pinpointing European Origin

The largest study of bat genomes and fossils suggests bats originated in Europe around 65 million years ago, challenging previous theories of an African, Asian, or North American origin. The research also indicates that echolocation evolved early in bat history, alongside flight.

This comprehensive research, published in Nature, reconstructs the genome of the ancestral bat, revealing the genetic makeup of early flying mammals. Data from 103 species' genomes and 44 fossil species were analyzed by 137 researchers from 64 countries, forming the Bat1K consortium.

The study's advanced genomic and computational methods, combined with fossil evidence and continental drift models, overturned prior hypotheses. Bats first dispersed to Africa, then established a Europe-Africa hub before spreading globally.

Collecting samples for the study spanned decades and included rare species from remote locations, such as the bumblebee bat and Madagascar's sucker-footed bats.

Fossil evidence, particularly the placement of the fossil bat Vielasia, suggests echolocation predates the diversification of modern bats, evolving near the origin of the group alongside powered flight.

The early evolution of flight and echolocation is proposed as a key factor in the extraordinary evolutionary success of bats over the past 65 million years.

Beyond origins and flight, the genomic resource and findings provide a framework for investigating other remarkable bat traits, including their disease resistance and exceptional longevity for small mammals.

This research may eventually inform human studies on aging, immunity, and disease resistance by identifying genes linked to these traits in bats.

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