Posted on 08/11/2009 6:05:10 AM PDT by JoeProBono
A walking bat in New Zealand took its marching orders from an ancestor, a new fossil-bat discovery reveals.
Scientists had long thought that the lesser short-tailed bat evolved its walking preference independently.
Since the bat's native habitat lacks predators, researchers reasoned that—much like flightless birds on isolated islands—the bat had adapted to its safer surroundings in part by walking.
But the discovery of fossils of a now extinct walking bat in northwestern Queensland, Australia, suggests that the modern-day bats descended from 20-million-year-old Australian relatives.
"We were amazed to find they were virtually identical to the bats in New Zealand today," said study leader Sue Hand, a paleontologist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
The fossil bat had a similar groove in its elbow as its modern counterpart. This supports a specialized muscular system that allows bats to launch from the ground, where they spend about 40 percent of their time.
Unlike their modern relatives, the ancient bats had plenty of predators, Hand said, including marsupial lions and carnivorous kangaroos.
But the quick little bats, measuring up to three inches (eight centimeters) long, would have easily escaped capture.
"They're very agile on the ground, quick to fly, and reasonably aggressive," Hand said.
Great. Just what I needed to read this morning after doing battle with two bats that got into the house last night!
*SHUDDER*
P.S. I won. ;)
Did someone say MOONBAT? I am not a Moonbat. Republicans are moonbats for opposing government run healthcare. No, I am not a MOONBAT.
/Sarcasm OFF
Helen Thomas photo please....
LOL!! I KNEW that was coming!!!
The winning number is ‘6’ in the HT mention pool...
Ask and you shall receive!
Mods — Maybe you could add a “Warning—disturbing photos” tag?
;-)
ah...thank you very much!
Before I clicked on this thread, I asked myself, “I wonder whether Hillary or Helen will be the first to have her picture posted.”
Life Extension Magazine should feature her and do a “make-over” with all them longevity/rejuvenating things in their “fountain-of-youth” arsenal.
—fossils of a now extinct walking bat suggests that the modern-day bats descended from 20-million-year-old Australian relatives.
“We were amazed to find they were virtually identical to the bats in New Zealand today,”
WHAAAAAT? if they are the same then maybe they weren’t extinct
Not just another pretty face.
Amazing! Bats living today are not extinct!
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Thanks JoeProBono. There's a whole series of movies about this, four or five major stars have played that role. |
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· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
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