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Evolutionary biology

A first for bats

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Which came first as bats evolved — flight or echolocation? Newly described fossils favour the flight-first hypothesis. But these creatures may have been otherwise equipped for flying at night.

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Figure 1: In flight today.

M. DURHAM/MINDEN PICTURES/FLPA

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. John Speakman is at the Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB39 2PN, UK. j.speakman@abdn.ac.uk ,

    John Speakman

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  1. John Speakman
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Speakman, J. A first for bats. Nature 451, 774–775 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/451774a

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