Bats May Have Begun in Europe: DNA and Fossils Redraw Their Family Tree
genome（JEE-nohm）
The complete genetic information in a living thing.
echolocation（ek-oh-loh-KAY-shun）
Finding nearby surroundings by sending sounds and hearing echoes.
late Paleocene（late PAL-ee-oh-seen）
A period about 65 million years ago.
What happened
Bats are the only mammals that power their own flight. They now live across the world. Yet scientists have struggled to identify where bat evolution began.
A new study combined high-quality genomes from 103 bat species with 44 fossil bats. The sample represents all 21 currently recognized bat families. The analysis places the most likely bat ancestor in Europe about 65 million years ago, during the late Paleocene. That result challenges earlier proposals for an Asian, African, or North American origin.
Why the question was difficult
Early bat fossils are sparse and fragmentary. Some have been found across Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. A fossil record with gaps can show where bats lived, but not necessarily where they first evolved. Genome-only studies also had limited sampling and different analytical methods. Because living bats can fly, later movement across continents blurred the original geography.
How the evidence was combined
Genome comparisons reveal which living species share inherited similarities. Fossils add information about age and body form. The team combined both kinds of evidence in one evolutionary analysis. It also used the ages of fossils to estimate when branches appeared and where they moved.
The preferred reconstruction places the early ancestor in Europe. Its descendants probably moved into Africa first. From a Europe–Africa hub, later bat lineages expanded into the Americas, Asia, and Australia. This is a reconstruction from several clues, not a map drawn from a surviving record of the first bat.
What it says about flight and sound
The study also examined echolocation. Echolocation means sending sounds and using returning echoes to detect nearby surroundings. Vielasia, an early fossil bat, sits within the oldest branch of the reconstructed bat tree. Its placement suggests that laryngeal echolocation appeared before modern bat groups diversified widely.
That result points to a close connection between powered flight and echolocation near the beginning of bat evolution. It does not show the first sound made by a bat. It also does not prove that every early bat used exactly the same system.
What is established—and what is not
The study provides strong support for revising bat family relationships and geography. It also shows the value of joining large genome datasets with fossil evidence. However, Europe is the most likely origin in a model. Scientists have not found a fossil labeled as the first bat. The early fossil record still has major gaps, and some lineages remain difficult to place.
Why it matters and what comes next
The new evolutionary framework can guide research on traits that make bats unusual. These include exceptional longevity and resistance to some diseases. That work may eventually inform human biology, but it is not a treatment today.
Future studies can test the result with additional genomes, fossils, and species. They can also examine when different traits appeared and apply similar methods to other animal groups. The full study is available in the Nature paper.
Did Bats Begin in Europe? DNA and Fossils Offer a New Answer
📰 Full story: Bats May Have Begun in Europe: DNA and Fossils Redraw Their Family Tree
A large study suggests that bat ancestors most likely lived in Europe about 65 million years ago.
genome（JEE-nohm）
The complete DNA information in a living thing.
echolocation（ek-oh-loh-KAY-shun）
Using returning sounds to find nearby things.
Vielasia（vee-uh-LAY-zee-uh）
An early fossil bat used in the study.
💡 The gist
- Researchers compared genomes from 103 bat species.
- They added 44 ancient bat fossils.
- The first bat ancestors most likely lived in Europe.
Bats are the only mammals with powered flight. They can fly by moving their wings. Bats live across the world. That makes their birthplace hard to trace.
A genome is the complete DNA information in a living thing. The study covered all 21 recognized bat family groups. Researchers also examined fossils and body-shape evidence.
Earlier studies suggested Asia, Africa, or North America. Those studies used different samples and methods. Some early fossils are missing or broken. Bats also spread far after they evolved. That can hide their original home.
The new team combined both kinds of clues. DNA helped compare family relationships. Fossils helped show age and body form. A computer model then estimated origins and movements.
The model favored Europe about 65 million years ago. Early descendants probably moved into Africa first. Later, bats spread toward the Americas, Asia, and Australia.
The study also examined echolocation. Echolocation uses returning sounds to find nearby things. An early fossil bat named Vielasia sat on the oldest branch. That placement suggests echolocation appeared very early. It may have developed close to powered flight.
Scientists still say most likely, not certain. They have not found the first bat. The fossil record still has gaps. Future studies can test more fossils and genomes.
This large dataset may help study bat longevity and disease resistance. It may eventually help human research. It is not a treatment today. See the Nature paper.
Where Did Bats Begin?
📰 Full story: Bats May Have Begun in Europe: DNA and Fossils Redraw Their Family Tree
Scientists think the first bats may have lived in Europe.
DNA（dee-en-ay）
Information inside living things.
fossil（FOSS-ul）
An old clue left by a living thing.
echolocation（ek-oh-loh-KAY-shun）
Using bouncing sounds to find things.
The big idea
Scientists looked at bat DNA and old bat fossils.
DNA is information inside living things.
Fossils are old clues from life.
Both clues pointed to Europe.
This was about 65 million years ago.
That was a very, very long time ago.
Scientists are still checking this answer.
Old bat fossils are few.
Bats also flew to many places.
So their first home is hard to find.
Some early bats may have used echolocation.
Echolocation uses bouncing sounds.
Scientists will compare more bats, DNA, and fossils.
The study is explained in the Nature paper.