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Bats originated in Europe 65 million years ago, study finds
A landmark study published in the journal Nature reveals that modern bats originated in Europe approximately 65 million years ago. This finding challenges previous scientific assumptions that the lineage emerged in Asia, Africa, or the Americas.
Conducted by the international Bat1K consortium, the research utilized genome sequencing of 103 species alongside the analysis of 44 fossil specimens. The data suggests that the earliest bat ancestors expanded from a European population into Africa, establishing a Euro-African core before eventually colonizing Asia, the Americas, and Australia.
The study also indicates that key biological traits, specifically powered flight and echolocation, did not evolve incrementally over millions of years but appeared near the very origin of the lineage. Researchers from the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Spain and the University of Granada contributed to the project, which marks the first time the genome of a flying mammal has been reconstructed.
Entities
Bat1K consortium · Ismael Galván · National Museum of Natural Sciences · Nature · University of Granada
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Modern bats originated in Europe approximately 65 million years ago. www.archynewsy.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The study was published in the journal Nature. www.archynewsy.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Powered flight and echolocation appeared near the origin of the bat lineage. www.archynewsy.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The study combined genome sequencing of 103 species with the analysis of 44 fossil specimens. www.archynewsy.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The earliest bat ancestors expanded from Europe into Africa before colonizing other continents. www.archynewsy.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Bat1K consortium conducted the research on bat evolution. www.archynewsy.com