Bat Evolution Essay

Bat evolution is a quite the mystery. Scientists have been trying to find out where Chiroptera (bats) came from for a very long time. Even though they are one of the biggest groups of mammals, their background is uncertain. The reason bat evolution is hard to understand is because their fossil record has many gaps. This is because bat bones are very light, therefore they decay quickly. Also, ancient bats lived in tropical areas, which sped up the decomposition process. As a result, we will never truly know the exact way bats evolved. However, some bats had died in areas where they were rapidly covered in sediment (solid fragmented material), therefore those bats bones were preserved. Furthermore, with the fossils that scientists have found, remarkable findings have been produced.

From research, scientists have found that ancient bats look quite similar to what modern bats look like today. In the 1960’s, the Icaronycteris, the earliest ancestor (at that time) of the bats had been found in Wyoming. It is apart of the species

However, there were some adaptations that modern species gained. The front limbs of a bat are today longer than the back limbs. The hind limbs of modern bats are not used to run around. They are loose at the ankle joint and Chiroptera use them to hang upside down. Also, today’s bats fly way faster than they did 80 million years ago. They fly faster because modern bats are now more accustomed to soaring through the air. Bat wings also over time became stronger, which helped with the speed of flight.

My timeline starts off with the Onychonycteris, the most ancient bat (found so far). Then it goes to the Icaronycteris, which I chose to put in second because from evidence, they are the closest to each other. Then Chriacus and Palaechthon, which are both Pan Primates. Finally, I ended off with the Rhinolophoidea, Manis, and Myotis. These are all modern bats that eat nectar and