Earth's first bats didn't come from where we thought, landmark genetic study reveals - Live Science

In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers compiled data from 103 bat genomes and 44 fossils to rewrite the bat family tree and determine where these animals first evolved.

By Sascha Pare Edited by Pandora Dewan , Laura Mondrag n Published 23 September 2026 In News 4 min read When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works .

Bats evolved in Europe roughly 65 million years ago before spreading around the world, new research finds. (Image credit: Daniel Whitby) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Scientists may have settled a decades-long debate about bat evolution, including controversial questions about when bats began to communicate and fly, a landmark study shows.