Scientists Trace the Origins of Bats Back to Europe 65 Million Years Ago

A major international study has offered new clues about where bats first evolved, suggesting that the world’s only mammals capable of true powered flight may have originated in Europe around 65 to 60 million years ago.

The research brought together genetic information from living bats and evidence from fossils to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the animals. The project involved 137 researchers from 64 countries.

A New Bat Family Tree

Scientists analyzed 103 bat genomes, including 42 newly generated chromosome-level genome assemblies, representing all 21 recognized bat families. They also examined evidence from 44 fossil bats.

By combining the genetic and fossil data, researchers were able to build a more detailed picture of how different bat groups evolved and spread around the world.

Europe May Have Been the Starting Point

For decades, scientists have debated where bats first appeared. Africa, Asia and North America have all been proposed as possible origins.

The new analysis points instead to Europe during the late Paleocene, approximately 65 to 60 million years ago. From there, early bats appear to have spread into Africa before eventually reaching other parts of the world.

Flight and Echolocation Appeared Very Early

The research also provides clues about two of the most remarkable features of bats: powered flight and echolocation.

Fossil evidence included in the study suggests that echolocation had already appeared close to the beginning of bat evolution. The researchers also concluded that powered flight emerged very early in the group’s history.

This means the abilities that make bats so unusual may have helped them diversify and occupy different environments as they spread across the planet.

Bats Became One of the Most Diverse Mammal Groups

Today, bats represent about one-fifth of all living mammal species. They occupy a huge range of habitats and perform important ecological roles, including pollinating plants, dispersing seeds and controlling insect populations.

Many bats also have unusual biological characteristics, including long lifespans for their body size and strong resistance to some diseases.

Ancient Genes Could Help Explain Modern Bats

The researchers also reconstructed parts of the genome of the ancient ancestor shared by living bats.

This new genetic resource could allow scientists to investigate how traits such as flight, echolocation, longevity and disease resistance developed over millions of years.

A Study Built From Decades of Research

The study draws on bat samples collected around the world over many years. By combining these samples with modern DNA sequencing and fossil evidence, researchers were able to resolve evolutionary relationships that had remained uncertain for decades.

The findings provide a new framework for studying one of the most unusual groups of mammals and offer scientists a clearer view of how bats became so successful across the planet.

Sources

• Nature — “Reference genomes and fossils revise bat family phylogeny and biogeography” — 2026.
• University College Dublin — Research announcement on the evolutionary origins of bats — September 30, 2026.
• ScienceDaily — “Bats may have first evolved in Europe 65 million years ago” — September 30, 2026.