Two Yellow Bat Species Found Hidden in Plain Sight
Scientists who took a closer look at common bats that live around people in Kenya have made a surprising discovery.
Scientists have discovered two new species of yellow-bellied bats, and say there could be more.
Though it’s surprising to find new species with such a prominent feature, scientists point out that it’s not so surprising that the creatures are bats. With more than 1,200 species, bats make up a whopping one-fifth of all mammal species.
But figuring out how all these bats are related to one another is no easy task, because in many cases their differences are subtle at best. And that’s why scientists from Chicago’s Field Museum only stumbled upon the two new species when they looked for small genetic differences in the course of creating an evolutionary family tree for Africa’s yellow bats. The details of their discovery are published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
The two new species belong to a group of bats known as Scotophilus. This group of bats, found across Africa and southern Asia, average around five inches in length and sport bright yellow fur on their bellies. Many species within Scotophilus live in urban environments, and some, such as the yellow house bat, often roost atop man-made structures.
More than half of these little bats were discovered within the last 15 years, and the relationships among them has been long been a source of confusion for biologists. For one thing, “they're fairly cryptic,” meaning that they’re hard to find in the wild, said Terry Demos, a postdoctoral fellow at Chicago’s Field Museum and lead author of the study. (Related: “6 Bat Myths Busted: Are They Really Blind?”)
See Amazing Pictures of Animals at Night
Spotting a Species
Eager to map the messy lineage of the Africa’s yellow bats, Demos and a team of researchers from Maasai Mara University and the National Museums of Kenya collected skin samples from just over 100 yellow bats in Kenya, and extracted DNA from each. By comparing the bats’ genetic profiles, Demos and his team were able to find differences among the species and determine where they would fall on an evolutionary family tree.
But when Demos started building the tree, he noticed two distinct lineages previously unknown to science. These lineages are genetically dissimilar from other species in the genus, but before the lineages can be considered a new species Demos will have to identify “clearly diagnosable differences,” such as physical traits or behaviors that set the new species apart. (Watch: “A Rare Look at Mexico’s Carnivorous Bats.”)
Demos is confident that the two new species will hold up to such scrutiny, and says there may even be more out there, since many of this group’s populations have never been surveyed.
Bring on the Bats
Though bats are the largest group of mammals, they are notoriously understudied. The remote areas they inhabit and the wide range of diseases they carry makes studying wild bats very difficult, and even dangerous.
But thanks to recent advancements in genetic sequencing technology, it is becoming a lot easier. Scientists can now “unlock DNA from the samples that might be hundreds of years old, and that helps a lot, because we can actually identify species that might be in a landscape that we can't get to,” says Susan Tsang, a genetics research associate the American Museum of Natural History in New York City who was not involved with the study.
Both Tsang and Demos believe that future genetic surveys will uncover dozens, if not hundreds, of currently unidentified bat species.
“It's interesting to know what evolutionary forces have driven and maintained the current diversity of mammals in Africa, but more practically, we need to have an accurate inventory of how many species there are so we can identify biodiversity hotspots and preserve them,” Demos says. (Read: “Deadly Bat Fungus Spreading in U.S.”)
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- These 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animalsThese 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animals
- These photos are works of art—and the artists are bugsThese photos are works of art—and the artists are bugs
- The epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfishThe epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfish
- Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75
Environment
- Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.
- This year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning signThis year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning sign
- The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?
- The most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater weldersThe most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater welders
- The harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to surviveThe harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to survive
History & Culture
- Why Swedish children celebrate Easter by dressing up as witchesWhy Swedish children celebrate Easter by dressing up as witches
- Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’
- A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.
- Meet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural iconMeet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural icon
Science
- LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?
- NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.
- Humans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying themHumans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying them
- Why engineers are concerned about aging infrastructureWhy engineers are concerned about aging infrastructure
Travel
- Why you should try beach-hopping by boat around Paxos, GreeceWhy you should try beach-hopping by boat around Paxos, Greece
- Mansion museums show visitors the gritty side of the Gilded AgeMansion museums show visitors the gritty side of the Gilded Age
- 2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip