Project 4056: T. B. Rietbergen, L. W. van den Hoek Ostende, A. Aase, M. F. Jones, E. D. Medeiros, N. B. Simmons. 2023. The oldest known bat skeletons and their implications for Eocene chiropteran diversification. PLOS ONE. 18 (4):e0283505.
Specimen: † Icaronycteris gunnelli (AMNH/FM:145747)
View: Skeleton dorsal

Abstract

The Fossil Lake deposits of the Green River Formation of Wyoming, a remarkable early Eocene Lagerstätte (51.98 ±0.35 Ma), have produced nearly 30 bat fossils over the last 50 years. However, diversity has thus far been limited to only two bat species. Here, we describe a new species of Icaronycteris based on two articulated skeletons discovered in the American Fossil Quarry northwest of Kemmerer, Wyoming. The relative stratigraphic position of these fossils indicates that they are the oldest bat skeletons recovered to date anywhere in the world. Phylogenetic analysis of Eocene fossil bats and living taxa places the new species within the family Icaronycteridae as sister to Icaronycteris index, and additionally indicates that the two Green River archaic bat families (Icaronycteridae and Onychonycteridae) form a clade distinct from known Old World lineages of archaic bats. Our analyses found no evidence that Icaronycteris? menui (France) nor I. sigei (India) belong to this clade; accordingly, we therefore remove them from Icaronycteridae. Taken in sum, our results indicate that Green River bats represent a separate chiropteran radiation of basal bats, and provide additional support for the hypothesis of a rapid radiation of bats on multiple continents during the early Eocene.


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Article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283505

Project DOI: 10.7934/P4056, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P4056
This project containsMatrices
  • 487 Media
  • 1 Matrix
  • 1 Document
  • 413 Taxa
  • 735 Specimens
  • 568 Characters
Total size of project's media files: 1.51G

Download Project SDD File
Total scored cells: 6657
Total media associated with cells: 2358
Total labels associated with cell media: 2595
Characters
Total characters: 568
Total characters with associated media: 0
Total characters with media with labels: 0
Total character states: 1595
Total character states with associated media: 90
Total character states with media with labels:89
Total unordered/ordered characters:539/29
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MorphoBank Project 4056

    This research
    supported by

    Authors' Institutions

    • Fossil Butte National Monument, Kemmerer

    • University of Kansas

    • University of Maine

    • American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)

    • Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    • Memorial University of Newfoundland



    Members

    member name taxa specimens media media
    notes
    chars character
    notes  media
    labels
    cell scorings
    (scored, NPA, "-")
    cell
    notes  medialabels
    rules
    Nancy Simmons
    Project Administrator
    127552482202204181090
    (738, 220, 132)
    06066460
    Matthew Jones
    Full membership
    21380000001643
    (1340, 210, 93)
    01301230
    Tim Rietbergen
    Full membership
    11820000456
    (222, 225, 9)
    0610


    Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M27589' (16 Taxa)

    taxon unscored
    cells
    scored
    cells
    no cell
    support
    NPA
    cells
    "-" cellscell images labels on
    cell images
    member
    access
    [1] Erinaceus europaeus
    Taxon name last Modified on 11/20/14
    7504112164390215none
    [2] Sorex bendirii
    Taxon name last Modified on 02/08/21
    504634571052003
    [3] † Onychonycteris finneyi
    Taxon name last Modified on 12/05/13
    32377170139212122583
    [4] † Icaronycteris gunnelli
    Taxon name last Modified on 04/21/23
    1132212152259603
    [5] † Icaronycteris index
    Taxon name last Modified on 05/01/20
    13424180112192362343
    [6] † Icaronycteris sigei
    Taxon name last Modified on 05/15/17
    487807902003
    [7] † Icaronycteris menui
    Taxon name last Modified on 01/14/20
    388169155147003
    [8] † Archaeonycteris trigonodon
    Taxon name last Modified on 12/05/13
    2662798014101962603
    [9] † Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon
    Taxon name last Modified on 12/05/13
    264173114124849583
    [10] † Hassianycteris messelensis
    Taxon name last Modified on 12/05/13
    284188133851248423
    [11] † Tachypteron franzeni
    Taxon name last Modified on 03/04/20
    414141140211003
    [12] Saccopteryx bilineata
    Taxon name last Modified on 05/01/20
    652022810342463123
    [13] Rhinopoma hardwickii
    Taxon name last Modified on 12/05/13
    534712343431652423
    [14] Myotis lucifugus
    Taxon name last Modified on 05/01/20
    653123517202462903
    [15] Macrotus waterhousii
    Taxon name last Modified on 05/01/20
    45402151101242773253
    [16] Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
    Taxon name last Modified on 12/05/13
    4940713871432873593


    Project downloads

    type number of downloads Individual items downloaded (where applicable)
    Total downloads from project18
    Matrix downloads12Master matrix (12 downloads);
    Project downloads2
    Document downloads3Rietbergen et al 2023 (3 downloads);
    Media downloads1M813384 (1 download);