A landmark study has revealed a new understanding of where bats likely originated 65 million years ago — in Europe, rather than in Asia, Africa or North America, as previously thought.
The study, published Wednesday in Nature, challenges existing hypotheses about the origin of bats, and aims to fill holes in the evolutionary history of the unique creatures. They are the only mammals capable of true sustained flight, they use echolocation to hunt in the dark, and they are able to tolerate diseases without getting sick — which many scientists believe holds clues for human medical science.