Study places bat origins in Europe 65 million years ago

A new study has found that bats first appeared in Europe around 65 million years ago. This overturns earlier theories that placed their origins in Asia, Africa, or North America. Researchers looked at the DNA of 103 bat species and also studied fossils. It is the largest study of its kind so far. The team placed an ancient fossil bat, called Vielasia, at the very base of the bat family tree. This fossil shows that echolocation, the ability to navigate using sound, was present almost from the beginning. Powered flight also developed very early. Bats later spread from Europe to other continents. The results were published in the journal Nature.