Title:

Preliminary overview of the fossil record of bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia) from the Miocene sites of Otavi Mountainland (Northern Namibia)

Author(s):
Publication Year:
2019
Abstract:

The preliminary results of the research on the bat fossils from the Miocene breccias of the Berg Aukas I site are presented. In total 4866 fossil bat fragments comprising mostly dentary fragments and isolated teeth from the 116 breccias blocks were analyzed. The fossil bat material comprises the representatives of Megachiroptera (cf. Pteropodidae) and at least seven different bat families of Microchiroptera belonging to Hipposideridae, Rhinolophidae,  Vespertilionidae, Emballonuridae, Molossidae, Nycterdae and Megadermatidae. The rhinolophids and hipposiderids combined are the most common species in the Miocene assemblages. The emballonurids and vespertilionids occupy second place in occurrence, while the megadermatids and molossids occur in fewer than one third of all breccia blocks. Records of Megachiroptera were the rarest. More tropical conditions of the Otavi Mountainland region during Miocene time is confirmed by the rather high occurrence of emballonurids and megadermatids in the Miocene assemblages from the Berg Aukas I site. Full study of the fossil material from the site could provide additional information on the origin, evolution and dispersion of bat fauna of Africa. Keywords: Mammalia, Chiroptera, Miocene, Africa, Namibia, Berg Aukas.

Publication Title:

Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia

Publisher:
Geological Survey of Namibia
Volume:
21
Pages:
48-58
Item Type:
Journal Article
Language:
en

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