Europe identified as likely origin of bats 65 million years ago

bat evolution genomic study Bat1K consortium echolocation evolution paleontology

A landmark study published in the journal Nature, conducted by the international Bat1K consortium, suggests that bats likely originated in Europe approximately 65 million years ago. This finding challenges previous hypotheses that suggested bats emerged in North America, Asia, or Africa.

The research involved 137 scientists from 64 countries who analyzed 103 bat genomes—representing all 21 recognized families—alongside 44 fossil specimens. This represents the largest combined genomic and fossil study of bats to date.

The study indicates that key evolutionary traits, such as powered flight and echolocation, likely co-evolved early in their history. Researchers also reconstructed the ancestral genome, noting that modern bat diversity largely resulted from chromosome fusions rather than splits. From their European origins, bats are believed to have dispersed in multiple waves to Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.

Entities

Arizona State University · Bat1K consortium · Emma Teeling · Europe · Melissa R. de Waal · Messel · Nature · Stony Brook University · University of St Andrews

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The research included the analysis of 44 fossil finds. www.hna.de · www.kreiszeitung.de
[● 3 SOURCES] A large-scale study on bat evolution was published in the journal Nature. www.hna.de · www.kreiszeitung.de · www.n-tv.de
[○ 1 SOURCE] Flight capability and echolocation developed during the early evolutionary phase of the group. www.n-tv.de
[○ 1 SOURCE] Bats and fruit bats comprise approximately one-fifth of all mammal species worldwide. www.n-tv.de
[○ 1 SOURCE] Bat genomes average about two billion base pairs, which is smaller than the human genome. www.n-tv.de
[● 3 SOURCES] The group spread from Europe to Africa, and subsequently to Asia, the Americas, and Australia. www.hna.de · www.kreiszeitung.de · www.n-tv.de
[● 3 SOURCES] Bats and fruit bats likely originated in Europe approximately 65 million years ago. www.hna.de · www.kreiszeitung.de · www.n-tv.de
[● 2 SOURCES] The study analyzed 103 high-quality genomes representing 21 bat families. www.hna.de · www.kreiszeitung.de
[● 3 SOURCES] Bats likely originated in Europe during the late Paleocene, approximately 65 million years ago. diarioparaguayo.com · www.lne.es · culturacolectiva.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The study analyzed 103 genomes from 21 bat families and 44 fossils. diarioparaguayo.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Echolocation and powered flight emerged during the early stages of bat evolution. diarioparaguayo.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Bats represent approximately one-fifth of all living mammal species. diarioparaguayo.com