Bats may have first evolved in Europe 65 million years ago

Automatically curated summary from ScienceDaily — Archaeology.

According to a report by ScienceDaily, a large genomic and fossil study suggests that bats may have initially evolved in Europe approximately 65 to 60 million years ago prior to spreading globally. Additionally, the research indicates that flight and echolocation likely emerged near the start of bat evolution. Researchers suggest these early adaptations potentially explain how bats successfully diversified to become one of the most successful mammal groups on Earth.

Context and limitations

The reported timeline and geographic origin depend on a single genomic and fossil study; exact evolutionary paths and the precise timing of flight and echolocation development remain scientific estimates subject to further confirmation.