Where did bats come from? New research points to Europe

By Veronica Zamora-Gutierrez, Lecturer in Ecology, University of Southampton
Neil J. Gostling, Associate Professor in Evolution and Palaeobiology, University of Southampton

For decades scientists have argued about where bats originated. A recently published study in the journal Nature offers new evidence to address that question. This new international study combining DNA and fossils supports Europe as bats’ likely birthplace.

The problem thus far has been that, unlike birds, which have a superb fossil record showing the transition from dinosaur to “chicken”, when we find bat fossils, they are exquisitely…

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