Tanzanycteris
Tanzanycteris is an extinct bat genus described from a partial skeleton found at Mahenge in north-central Tanzania. The fossil came from lake sediments dated to approximately 46 million years ago, in the Eocene. The described species is Tanzanycteris mannardi.[1]
Fossil and hearing
The specimen preserves part of the skull, vertebral column, shoulder region and forelimbs. Its inner-ear structures are unusually large. The describing researchers interpreted this anatomy as evidence of a specialised form of echolocation, comparable in some respects to that of living bats able to navigate complex surroundings. This is an inference from the fossil's anatomy, not a direct observation of its calls.[1]
Classification
The authors placed the genus in a new family, Tanzanycterididae. Its exact relationships were uncertain: it combined features resembling those of several fossil and living bat groups. The genus name combines Tanzania with a Greek word for bat; the species name honours George W. Mannard, who explored the locality.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gunnell, Gregg F.; Jacobs, Bonnie Fine; Herendeen, Patrick S.; and colleagues (2003). “Oldest Placental Mammal from Sub-Saharan Africa: Eocene Microbat from Tanzania—Evidence for Early Evolution of Sophisticated Echolocation”. Palaeontologia Electronica, 10 pp.