Vulcanops
| Vulcanops Temporal range: Lower Miocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Mystacinidae |
| Genus: | Vulcanops Hand et al. 2018 |
| Species: | V. jennyworthyae |
| Binomial name | |
| Vulcanops jennyworthyae Hand et al. 2018 | |
Vulcanops is an extinct, monotypic genus of bat.[1] The type and only described species is Vulcanops jennyworthyae.
Taxonomy and etymology
V. jennyworthyae was described in 2018 from fossilized teeth and bone fragments.[2] The new genus and species were placed within the family Mystacinidae, commonly called the burrowing bats. The genus name "Vulcanops" is derived from the Roman god of fire and volcanoes, Vulcan. The suffix "-ops" is commonly used for bat genera.[1] "Vulcan" was chosen in homage to the tectonic nature of New Zealand, as well as a historic hotel, Vulcan Hotel, in the mining town of Saint Bathans.[3] The eponym for the species name "jennyworthyae" is Jennifer P. Worthy "in recognition of her pivotal role in revealing the diversity of the St Bathans Fauna."[1] Jennifer Worthy is the scientist who discovered the fossils of V. jennyworthyae. The fossilized remains were found in sediments approximately 16–19 million years old.[3]
Description
Based on extrapolations from the size of its teeth, V. jennyworthyae would have weighed approximately 42.6 g (1.50 oz).[1] Its body mass would be three times the average size of modern bats.[2] It is the largest bat of its family ever described.[3]
Biology and ecology
The presence of a large hypocone on its upper molars indicates that it was not strictly carnivorous. A large, blunt hypocone is indicative of herbivory.[1] It would have lived among the trees while also foraging on the ground. It likely consumed invertebrates such as insects and spiders.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Hand, S. J.; Beck, R. M.; Archer, M.; Simmons, N. B.; Gunnell, G. F.; Scofield, R. P.; Tennyson, A. J. D.; De Pietri, V. L.; Salisbury, S. W.; Worthy, T. H. (2018). "A new, large-bodied omnivorous bat (Noctilionoidea: Mystacinidae) reveals lost morphological and ecological diversity since the Miocene in New Zealand". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 235. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18403-w.
- 1 2 3 Zachos, Elaina. "Extinct Burrowing Bat Discovered, and It Was Giant". National Geographic. National Geographic Partners, LLC. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- 1 2 3 Smith, Deborah (11 January 2018). "Giant extinct burrowing bat discovered in New Zealand". UNSW Sydney Newsroom. University of New South Wales. Retrieved 15 May 2018.