Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The oldest African bat from the early Eocene of El Kohol (Algeria)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Naturwissenschaften Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Afro-Arabian Paleogene fossil record of Chiroptera is very poor. In North Africa and Arabia, this record is limited, thus far, to a few localities mainly in Tunisia (Chambi, late early Eocene), Egypt (Fayum, late Eocene to early Oligocene), and Sultanate of Oman (Taqah, early Oligocene). It consists primarily of isolated teeth or mandible fragments. Interestingly, these African fossil bats document two modern groups (Vespertilionoidea and Rhinolophoidea) from the early Eocene, while the bat fossil record of the same epoch of North America, Eurasia, and Australia principally includes members of the “Eochiroptera.” This paraphyletic group contains all primitive microbats excluding modern families. In Algeria, the region of Brezina, southeast of the Atlas Mountains, is famous for the early Eocene El Kohol Formation, which has yielded one of the earliest mammalian faunas of the African landmass. Recent fieldwork in the same area has led to the discovery of a new vertebrate locality, including isolated teeth of Chiroptera. These fossils represent the oldest occurrence of Chiroptera in Africa, thus extending back the record of the group to the middle early Eocene (Ypresian) on that continent. The material consists of an upper molar and two fragments of lower molars. The dental character association matches that of “Eochiroptera.” As such, although very fragmentary, the material testifies to the first occurrence of “Eochiroptera” in Algeria, and by extension in Africa. This discovery demonstrates that this basal group of Chiroptera had a worldwide distribution during the early Paleogene.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Court N, Mahboubi M (1993) Reassessment of lower Eocene Seggeurius amourensis: aspects of primitive dental morphology in the mammalian order Hyracoidea. J Paleontol 67(5):889–893

    Google Scholar 

  • Eiting TP, Gunnell GF (2009) Global completeness of the bat fossil record. J Mamm Evol 16:151–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gheerbrant E, Cappetta H, Feist M, Jaeger JJ, Sudre J, Vianey-Liaud M, Sigé B (1992) La succession des faunes de vertébrés d'âge Paléocène supérieur et Eocène inférieur dans le bassin d'Ouarzazate, Maroc. Contexte géologique, bilans biostratigraphique et paléogéographique. Newsl Stratigr 28(1):33–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Gheerbrant E, Sudre J, Capetta H, Iarochene M, Amaghzaz M, Bouya B (2002) A new large mammal from the Ypresian of Morocco: evidence of surprising diversity of early proboscideans. Acta Palaeontol Pol 47:493–506

    Google Scholar 

  • Gheerbrant E, Sudre J, Capetta H, Mourer-Chauviré C, Bourdon E, Iarochene M, Amaghzaz M, Bouya B (2003) Les localités à mammifères des carrières de Grand Daoui, bassin des Ouled Abdoun, Maroc, Yprésien: Premier état des lieux. B Soc Geol Fr 174:279–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gheerbrant E, Sudre J, Tassy P, Amaghzaz M, Bouya B, Iarochene M (2005) Nouvelles données sur Phosphatherium escuilliei (Mammalia, Proboscidea) de l’Eocène inférieur du Maroc, apports à la phylogénie des Proboscidea et des ongulés lophodontes. Geodiversitas 27:239–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Gingerich PD (2006) Environment and evolution through the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum. Trends Ecol Evol 21(5):246–253

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gunnell GF (2010) Chiroptera. In: Sanders WJ, Werdelin L (eds) Cenozoic mammals of Africa. University of California Press, Berkeley, pp 587–604

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunnell GF, Simmons NB (2005) Fossil evidence and the origin of bats. J Mamm Evol 12(1/2):209–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunnell GF, Jacobs BF, Herendeen PS, Head JJ, Kowalski E, Msuya CP, Mizambwa FA, Harrison T, Habersetzer J, Storch G (2003) Oldest placental mammal from sub-Saharan Africa: Eocene microbat from Tanzania—evidence for early evolution of sophisticated echolocation. Palaeontol Electronica 5(3):10pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunnell GF, Simons EL, Seiffert ER (2008) New bats (mammalia: Chiroptera) from the late Eocene and early Oligocene, Fayum depression, Egypt. J Vertebr Paleontol 28(1):1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Habersetzer J, Storch G (1992) Cochlea size in extant Chiroptera and middle Eocene microchiropterans from Messel. Naturwissenschaften 79:462–466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hand S, Novacek M, Godthelp H, Archer M (1994) First Eocene bat from Australia. J Vertebr Paleontol 14(3):375–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison DL, Hooker JJ (2010) Late middle Eocene bats from the Creechbarrow Limestone Formation Dorset, southern England with description of a new species of Archaeonycteris (Chiroptera: Archaeonycteridae). Acta Chiropterol 12(1):1–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill JE, Smith JD (eds) (1984) Bats a natural history, vol 877. British Museum (Natural History) Publications, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hooker JJ (1996) A primitive emballonurid bat (Chiroptera, Mammalia) from the earliest Eocene of England. Palaeovertebrata 25(2–4):287–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Jepsen GL (1966) Early Eocene bat from Wyoming. Science 154(3754):1333–1339

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jodot P (1953) Les Pseudoceratodes du Nummulitique continental circumsaharien. Bull Serv carte Géol Algér 17:124

    Google Scholar 

  • Legendre S (1984) Etude odontologique des représentants actuels du groupe Tadarida (Chiroptera, Molossidae). Implications phylogénétiques, systématiques et zoogéographiques. Rev Suisse Zool 91(2):399–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahboubi M, Ameur R, Crochett JY, Jaeger JJ (1984) Earliest known proboscidean from early Eocene of north-west Africa. Nature 308(2):543–544

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mahboubi M, Ameur R, Crochet JY, Jaeger JJ (1986) El Kohol (Saharian Atlas, Algeria): a new Eocene mammal locality in northwestern Africa. Stratigraphical, phylogenetic and paleobiogeographical data. Palaeontogr Abt A 192:15–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Maitre E, Sigé B, Escarguel G (2008) A new family of bats in the Paleogene of Europe: systematics and implications for the origin of emballonurids and rhinolophoids. N Jb Geol Paläont Abh 250(2):199–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marandat B (1991) Mammifères de l'Ilerdien moyen (Eocène inférieur) des Corbières et du Minervois (bas-Languedoc, France). Systématique, biostratigraphie, corrélations. Palaeovertebrata 20(2–3):55–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Mebrouk F, Mahboubi M, Bessedik M, Feist M (1997) L'apport des charophytes à la stratigraphie des formations continentales paléogènes de l'Algérie. Geobios 30:171–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nouhbani A, Hautier L, Jaeger J-J, Mahboubi M, Tabuce R (2008) Variabilité dentaire et crânienne de Numidotherium koholense (Mammalia, Proboscidea) de l’Eocène d’ El Kohol, Algérie. Geobios 41:515–531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russell DE, Sigé B (1970) Révision des chiroptères du Lutétien de Messel (Hesse, Allemagne). Palaeovertebrata 3(4):83–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell DE, Louis P, Savage DE (1973) Chiroptera and Dermoptera of the French early Eocene, vol 95. University of California Press, Berkeley

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiffert ER (2010) Chronology of Paleogene mammal localities. In: Sanders WJ, Werdelin L (eds) Cenozoic mammals of Africa. University of California Press, Berkeley, pp 19–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigé B (1985) Les chiroptères oligocènes du Fayum, Egypte. Geol Palaeontol 19:161–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigé B (1991) Rhinolophoidea et Vespertilionoidea (Chiroptera) du Chambi (Eocène inférieur de Tunisie). Aspect biostratigraphique, biogéographique et paléoécologique de l'origine des chiroptères modernes. N Jb Geol Paläont Abh 182(3):355–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigé B, Thomas H, Sen S, Gheerbrant E, Roger J, Al-Sulaimani Z (1994) Les chiroptères de Taqah (Oligocène inférieur, Sultanat d'Oman). Premier inventaire systématique. Münchner Geowiss Abh 26(A):35–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigé B, Habersetzer J, Storch G (1998) The deciduous dentition and dental replacement in the Eocene bat Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon from Messel: the primitive condition and beginning of specialization of milk teeth among Chiroptera. Lethaia 31:349–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sigé B, Maitre E, Hand S (2007) The primitive condition of the lower molars among bat. J Vertebr Paleonto 27(supplement to number 3):146a

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmons NB (2005) Chapter 11, Chiroptera. In: Rose KD, Archibald JD (eds) The rise of placental mammals: origins and relationships of the major extant clades. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp 159–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmons NB, Geisler JH (1998) Phylogenetic relationship of Icaronycteris, Archaeonycteris, Hassianycteris, and Palaeochiropteryx to extant bat lineages, with comments on the evolution of echolocation and foraging strategies in Microchiroptera. Bull U S Natl Mus 235:1–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmons NB, Seymour KL, Habersetzer J, Gunnell GF (2008) Primitive early Eocene bat from Wyoming and the evolution of flight and echolocation. Nature 451(14):818–821

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith T, Rana RS, Missiaen P, Rose KD, Sahni A, Singh H, Singh L (2007) High bat (Chiroptera) diversity in the early Eocene of India. Naturwissenschaften 94:1003–1009

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Storch G, Sigé B, Habersetzer J (2002) Tachypteron franzeni n. gen., n. sp., earliest emballonurid bat from middle Eocene of Messel (Mammalia, Chiroptera). Palaeontol Z 76(2):189–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabuce R, Antunes MT, Sigé B (2009) A new primitive bat from the earliest Eocene of Europe. J Vertebr Paleontol 29(2):627–630

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teeling EC, Springer MS, Madsen O, Bates P, O'Brien SJ, Murphy WJ (2005) A molecular phylogeny for bats illuminates biogeography and the fossil record. Science 307:580–584

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tejedor M, Czaplewski NJ, Goin FJ, Aragon E (2005) The oldest record of South American bats. J Vertebr Paleontol 25(4):990–993

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Valen L (1979) The evolution of bat. Evol Theory 4:103–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Veselka N, McErlain DD, Holdsworth DW, Eger JL, Chlem RK, Mason MJ, Brain KL, Faure PA, Fenton MB (2010) A bony connection signals laryngeal echolocation in bats. Nature 463:939–942

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yongsheng T (1997) Middle Eocene small mammals from Liguanqiao Basin of Henan Province and Yuanqu Basin of Shanxi Province, central China. Acta Palaeontol Sinic 18(New Series C Number 26):26–256

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the vice-chancellors of Tlemcen and Oran Universities (Algeria) and the authorities from El Bayadh district who assisted paleontological field expeditions in the Brezina and El Kohol areas. We are very grateful to M. Guettatfi Abderramane (head teacher of the secondary school of Brezina), Cheikh Mammeri (El Bayadh), and Hamidat (Brezina) for providing us accommodations in Brezina. Special thanks to the nomads from the El Kohol kheima for providing us field assistance. Our acknowledgments are extended to Anne-Lise Charruault (ISE-M), Adélaïde Euriat (ISE-M), Renaud Lebrun (ISE-M), Vincent Lazzari (ISE-M, IPHEP, Poitiers), and Lionel Hautier (ISE-M, Cambridge University, Cambridge) for technical and field assistance. Many thanks to Christine Argot, Jacques Cuisin, and Jean-Marc Pons (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris) for giving us access to comparative material as well as Laurence Meslin (ISE-M) for artworks. This research was supported by the French ANR-ERC PALASIAFRICA Program (ANR-08-JCJC-0017). This is ISE-M publication 2011-031.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR-CNRS 5554, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, cc064, Université Montpellier II, place Eugène Bataillon, 34094, Montpellier cedex 05, France

    Anthony Ravel, Laurent Marivaux, Rodolphe Tabuce & Mohammed Adaci

  2. Laboratoire de recherche n°25, Département des Sciences de la Terre, Université Abou Bekr Belkaïd, B.P. 119, Tlemcen, 13000, Algeria

    Mohammed Adaci & Mustapha Bensalah

  3. Laboratoire de Paléontologie stratigraphique et Paléoenvironnement, Université d’Oran, B.P. 1524, El M’naouer, Oran, 31000, Algeria

    Mohammed Mahboubi & Fateh Mebrouk

  4. Département des Sciences de la Terre, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Jijel, B.P. 98, Ouled Aissa, 18000, Jijel, Algeria

    Fateh Mebrouk

Authors
  1. Anthony Ravel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laurent Marivaux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rodolphe Tabuce
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mohammed Adaci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mohammed Mahboubi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Fateh Mebrouk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Mustapha Bensalah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony Ravel.

Additional information

Communicated by: Robert Asher

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ravel, A., Marivaux, L., Tabuce, R. et al. The oldest African bat from the early Eocene of El Kohol (Algeria). Naturwissenschaften 98, 397–405 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-011-0785-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-011-0785-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation