A comprehensive new study of bat specimens indicates that bats most likely originated in Europe, challenging long-standing ideas about the early geographic and evolutionary history of Chiroptera. Researchers say the results, derived from the largest comparative dataset assembled for bats, require substantial revision of the mammalian family tree as it pertains to the group.
Field teams working in diverse habitats contributed thousands of samples to the project. In the forests near the Congo River, for example, scientists have spent years collecting DNA swabs and tissue from hammer-headed fruit bats — noted for their loud honking and distinctive box-shaped snouts — often working at night in protective gear. Those and other hard-won specimens from around the globe were combined to reconstruct relationships among bat species.
The authors describe the study as the biggest of its kind, and say the breadth of samples enabled a more detailed picture of bat diversification and ancestral geographic ranges than was previously possible. By comparing genetic data across many lineages, the analysis points to a European origin for the order, a conclusion that rewrites previous interpretations of when and where key bat groups emerged.
Beyond its paleobiogeographic implications, the research has potential downstream impacts for biomedical science. Bats are of intense interest to researchers because of their unique immune systems and their roles as reservoirs for viruses; understanding their evolutionary history can inform studies into viral tolerance and other traits that have potential relevance to human health, including cancer research.
Scientists caution that interpretations of deep-time origins depend on sampling and analytical choices, and further work will be needed to refine the timing and routes of early bat diversification. Nevertheless, the scale of the dataset and the global scope of the field collections mark a significant step forward in clarifying bat evolution and its broader implications for mammalian biology.