JAKARTA - The two skeletons of 52 million-year-old bats found at the bottom of an ancient lake in Wyoming, United States are the oldest bat fossils ever discovered, in addition to uncovering new species.
The Rietbergen team, an evolutionary biologist at the Naturalist Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands, identified a previously unknown bat species, when it began collecting measurements and other data from museum specimens.
"This new research is a step forward in understanding what happened in terms of evolution and diversity in the early days of bats," he was quoted as saying by CNN May 1.
Currently, there are more than 1,400 surviving bat species found worldwide, except in polar areas. However, how these creatures evolved into the only mammals capable of flying on their own power, is still not well understood.
Catatan fossil bat tidak merata, dan dua fosil yang diidentifikasi Rietbergen sebagai spese baru merupakan penemuan yang beruntung, terawetkan dengan sangat baik dan menunjukkan frame lengkap hewan tersebut, termasuk bicara.
"The small, light and fragile bat skeletons are very unfavorable for the fossilization process. They are not well preserved," he explained.
The recently discovered bat species - Icaronycteris gunnelli - are not much different from today's flying bats. Its teeth suggest that these bats live by eating insects. The size is very small, weighing only 25 grams (0.88 ounces).
"If it folds its wings beside its body, it will easily get into your hands. Its wings are relatively short and wide, reflecting a more sprinkling flying style," Rietbergen said.
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This special bat lives when the Earth's climate is warm and humid. The two skeletons Rietbergen researched lasted for thousands of years. Most likely because the creatures fell into the lake, placing them beyond the reach of predators and entering a more conducive environment for fossilization.
It is known, the base of the ancient lake is part of the Wyoming Green River Formation and has produced a number of bat fossils.
One of the two fossils was collected by a private collector in 2017 and purchased by the American Museum of Natural History. Another fossil belongs to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and was discovered in 1994.
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