Bat1K Revises 21-Family Bat Tree, Tracing Flight to Europe 65 Million Years Ago

3 articles · Updated · Nature.com · Sep 23

Using 103 chromosome-level bat genomes and 44 fossil taxa, Bat1K produced a revised phylogeny that places bats' origin—and powered flight—in Europe in the late Palaeocene, overturning African, North American and Asian origin theories.
The analysis also repositions Myzopodidae as the earliest branch within Vespertilionoidea and identifies Emballonuroidea and Vespertilionoidea as sister groups, arguing earlier studies were skewed by conflicting signals in protein-coding genes.
A 699-character fossil morphology dataset combined with neutral genomic sites indicates laryngeal echolocation predates crown-bat diversification, with the fossil Vielasia falling inside the oldest Eochiroptera clade.
Chromosome reconstructions support 26 ancestral bat chromosomes and suggest modern bat genomes evolved mainly through chromosome fusions, while the broader framework offers a new reference for studying bat longevity, immunity and other unusual traits.

Sources

Nature.com50d ago

Bat1K Consortium Revises Bat Phylogeny, Pinpointing European Origin of Flight in Late Palaeocene

The New York Times50d ago

New Study: Bats Emerged in Europe 65 Million Years Ago with Early Echolocation

The Washington Post50d ago

Landmark Study Pinpoints Bat Origin in Europe 65 Million Years Ago

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From Europe to the World: Genomic and Fossil Evidence Reveals Bats’ 65-Million-Year Evolutionary Journey

Overview

A groundbreaking 2026 study by the Bat1K consortium combined the largest-ever set of bat genomes with fossil evidence to reveal that bats—and powered flight in mammals—originated in Europe around 65 million years ago, right after the dinosaurs disappeared. This discovery overturned previous theories about bat origins and showed that both flight and echolocation evolved together, allowing bats to rapidly fill the night sky and diversify into over 1,500 species. By reconstructing the ancestral bat genome, scientists also uncovered genetic secrets behind bats’ exceptional longevity and disease resistance, offering new directions for medical research and conservation efforts.

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