The new species, Mystacina miocenalis, was described today in the journal PLOS ONE, and is related to another bat, Mystacina tuberculata, which still lives in New Zealand's old growth forests.
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| Mystacina tuberculata foraging on South Island, New Zealand. |
The fossils were found near Central Otago on South Island, in sediment
left over from a vast prehistoric body of water known as Lake
Manuherikia, which was part of warmer subtropical rainforest during the
early Miocene era, between 16 and 19-million-years-ago.
Bats, belonging to the Mystacina genus, were believed to have an ancient history in New Zealand, but until now, the oldest fossil of a Mystacina
bat in New Zealand was from a cave in South Island, dating to 17,500
years ago. This latest discovery forces a rethink of when these
peculiar, walking bats first crossed the ditch, arriving from what is
present-day Australia.
The new species has similar teeth to its contemporary relative, suggesting a broad diet that included nectar, pollen and fruit, as well as insects and spiders. Limb bones found in the deposit also showed similar structures specialised for walking.
Where they differ is body size: at an estimated 40 grams, the fossil bat is roughly three times heavier than its living cousin, and the average weight of more than 900 living bat species.
The research team also found a diverse array of plant, animal and insect fossils
at the site, which shows that the 16-million-year-old subtropical
ecosystem bore resemblance to the more temperate one that exists today.
Source: Science Daily
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