Pteropodidae
Sign in to saveMegabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera. They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera Acerodon and Pteropus—flying foxes. They are the only member of the superfamily Pteropodoidea, which is one of two superfamilies in the suborder Yinpterochiroptera. Internal divisions of Pteropodidae have varied since subfamilies were first proposed in 1917. From three subfamilies in the 1917 classification, six are now recognized, along with various tribes. As of 2018, 197 species of megabat had been described.
AI overview
Pteropodidae, also known as megabats or fruit bats, is a family of bats found in the Old World that includes the well-known flying foxes and comprises 197 described species as of 2018. These bats are important members of their ecosystems and are scientifically significant as the only family in their superfamily, though scientists continue to refine how they classify the different groups within the family.
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Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderChiroptera
- FamilyPteropodidae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
36 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy and evolution
- Taxonomic history
- Evolutionary history
- Fossil record and divergence times
- Biogeography
- Echolocation
- Description
- Appearance
- Skeleton
- Skull and dentition
- Postcrania
- Internal systems
- Biology and ecology
- Genome size
- Senses
- Sight
- Smell
- Taste
- Reproduction and life cycle
- Behavior and social systems
- Roosting
- Diet and foraging
- Seed dispersal
- Predators and parasites
- Range and habitat
- Relationship to humans
- Food
- As disease reservoirs
- In culture
- Conservation
- Status
- Factors causing decline
- Anthropogenic sources
- Natural sources
- References
- External links
Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera. They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera Acerodon and Pteropus—flying foxes. They are the only member of the superfamily Pteropodoidea, which is one of two superfamilies in the suborder Yinpterochiroptera. Internal divisions of Pteropodidae have varied since subfamilies were first proposed in 1917. From three subfamilies in the 1917 classification, six are now recognized, along with various tribes. As of 2018, 197 species of megabat had been described.
The leading theory of the evolution of megabats has been determined primarily by genetic data, as the fossil record for this family is the most fragmented of all bats. They likely evolved in Australasia, with the common ancestor of all living pteropodids existing approximately 31 million years ago. Many of their lineages probably originated in Melanesia, then dispersed over time to mainland Asia, the Mediterranean, and Africa. Today, they are found in tropical and subtropical areas of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania.