Summary: LETTERS
Primitive Early Eocene bat from Wyoming and the
evolution of flight and echolocation
Nancy B. Simmons1
, Kevin L. Seymour2
, Jo¨rg Habersetzer3
& Gregg F. Gunnell4
Bats (Chiroptera) represent one of the largest and most diverse
radiations of mammals, accounting for one-fifth of extant species1
.
Although recent studies unambiguously support bat monophyly2­4
and consensus is rapidly emerging about evolutionary relation-
ships among extant lineages5­8
, the fossil record of bats extends
over 50 million years, and early evolution of the group remains
poorly understood5,7­9
. Here we describe a new bat from the Early
Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming, USA, with features
that are more primitive than seen in any previously known bat.
The evolutionary pathways that led to flapping flight and echo-

Source: Azevedo, Ricardo - Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston
Sullivan, Jack - Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho

Collections: Biology and Medicine; Environmental Sciences and Ecology