Genome and fossil data place bat origins in Europe 65 million years ago
A massive international study has rewritten the evolutionary history of bats, concluding that they originated in Europe approximately 65 million years ago, not in Asia, Africa, or North America as previously hypothesized. Published in Nature, the research analyzed 103 bat genomes and 44 fossils to resolve long-standing debates about the timing of flight and echolocation. The findings suggest these key traits evolved early in bat history, around 50 million years ago, rather than appearing multiple times as bats diversified. This new phylogenetic tree provides a foundation for understanding bat disease resistance and longevity, which could inform human medical research.