Sheath-tailed bats (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) from the early Pleistocene Rackham’s Roost Site, Riversleigh World Heritage Area, and the distribution of northern Australian emballonurid species

A groundbreaking discovery at Australia's Riversleigh World Heritage Site reveals the oldest recorded presence of sheath-tailed bats (Emballonuridae) from the early Pleistocene, dating back over 2 million years. This study identifies at least three distinct bat taxa within fossil remains, including two modern species—Taphozous georgianus and T. troughtoni—and a large, undetermined Saccolaimus species. By analyzing craniodental features, researchers distinguish between these species, suggesting that the distributions of T. georgianus and T. troughtoni may have overlapped in north-western Queensland since the early Pleistocene. This finding sheds light on the evolutionary history and biogeography of Australian emballonurids.

King, T. R., Myers, T. J., Armstrong, K. N., Archer, M., & Hand, S. J. (2021). Sheath-tailed bats (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) from the early Pleistocene Rackham’s Roost Site, Riversleigh World Heritage Area, and the distribution of northern Australian emballonurid species. PeerJ, 9, e10857. Portico. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10857