Researchers Trace Bat Origins to Ancient Europe

A new evolutionary framework identifies the Paleocene as the key period for bat diversification in the region.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Life Sciences

Fossilized bat wing structure embedded in weathered sedimentary rock, highlighting ancient biological traits. — Arizona State University researchers trace the origins of bat diversification to Europe, identifying the Paleocene era as the key period for the species' early evolution. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Arizona State University researchers have reconstructed the evolutionary history of bats, tracing their origins to Europe between 66 million and 56 million years ago. This research-stage study utilized genome data and fossilized skeletal structures to build a new evolutionary framework.

Why it matters

Understanding the early divergence of the bat lineage provides a necessary baseline for studying the evolution of complex traits like powered flight and echolocation. The findings help contextualize why bats now account for 20% of all mammal species.

Researchers integrated genomic sequences from 103 living species with morphological data from fossilized teeth and bone structures. This comparison against current anatomical records aims to map the diversification of the order Chiroptera across geological time.

The players

Arizona State University

A public research university based in Tempe that maintains extensive biological and evolutionary research programs.

The details

To construct the evolutionary tree, the team combined DNA analysis from living bats with the structural analysis of fossilized bone and dental specimens. By mapping morphological traits—the physical structure of organisms—against genomic markers, researchers could infer evolutionary relationships between extinct ancestors and modern species. The model also indicates that echolocation, the biological sonar used by most bats to navigate, may have been independently lost multiple times during the species' history.

66 million to 56 million years ago: The period during which researchers estimate bats originated.
October 30, 2026: The publication date of the study.

The Tech Race

This work clarifies the evolutionary timeline of Chiroptera, placing bat origins alongside other major mammalian radiation events. It provides a foundational dataset that challenges previous assumptions about the stability of echolocation over millions of years.

This study establishes a new scientific baseline for biological research but does not immediately alter daily life or consumer workflows. Researchers and biologists in the Tempe area and beyond will use this updated evolutionary framework to guide future studies on mammalian trait development.

The takeaway

This study shifts the origin point for one of the most successful mammal groups to Europe during the Paleocene. Observers should track upcoming peer-reviewed updates on the metabolic and genetic drivers that allowed echolocation to be lost and regained in various lineages.