Reference genomes and fossils revise bat family phylogeny and biogeography.

Long-read genome analysis of 103 bat species reveals a revised phylogeny and European origin of bats, dating back to the late Palaeocene with 26 ancestral chromosomes.

• Why it matters: Understanding bat evolution is crucial due to their unique adaptations like flight and echolocation, yet their origins and evolutionary relationships have remained unclear, hindering insights into mammalian evolution and disease resistance.
• What they did: Researchers sequenced high-quality genomes from all 21 bat families, integrated morphological data from fossils, and applied advanced phylogenetic and biogeographic models to reconstruct bat evolutionary history.
• The result: The study clarifies bat relationships, confirms a European origin, and shows echolocation predates diversification, enabling better understanding of mammalian adaptation and evolution.