Between 16 and 19 million years ago, in the early Miocene, a new species of bat lived in New Zealand three times larger than modern bats and that walked on all fours , according to the study of fossils discovered in the sediment of a vast prehistoric body of water known as Lake Manuherikia in Central Otago, on New Zealand’s South Island. The research has been published in the journal PloS One .
The area where the fossils were found was part of a warmer subtropical rainforest about 16 million years ago . This new species of land giant bat has been named Mystacina miocenalis and is related to another bat, Mystacina tuberculata , which still lives in the old forests of New Zealand.
“Our discovery shows for the first time that ‘Mystacina’ bats have been present in New Zealand for more than 16 million years, living in habitats with very similar plant life and food sources,” explains Suzanne Hand, co-author of the study.
The paleontologists from the University of New South Wales (Australia) responsible for the study explain that this species of land mammal is known as a “burrowing bat” because it feeds on the ground under snow and leaf litter, keeping its wrists sunk in the ground, the feet back and the wings strongly folded.
Physically this new species also had teeth, so insects, spiders, as well as nectar, pollen and fruit would be included in its diet . Analysis of the remains also determined that this bat would weigh three times more on average than the current Mystacina species and more than the 900 existing bat species.
Until now it was unknown when these bats emerged, since the oldest fossil that had been discovered barely dated from 17,500 years ago : “This helps us understand the ability of bats to establish populations on the islands and the necessary climatic conditions. for this to happen. Bats are important pollinators and seed dispersers that keep forests healthy. Understanding the connectivity between the bat fauna of the different land masses is important to assess the biosecurity threats and the conservation priorities of fragile island ecosystems ”, clarifies Hand.
