Chiroptera Evolution

The Tsushima Tube-Nosed Bat (Murina Tenebrosa) is critically endangered, stemming from the Subfamily Tube-Nosed Bat( Murininae. The Murina Tenebrosa is from the Vesperilionidae Family and is a descendant of the Mammalia class.

The bat belongs to the Chiroptera Order, meaning "Hand-Wing." Bats share similar features to most mammals, having regulated body temperature, hair, and their children's living birth and nursing.

Bats are known to "walk" with their wings(image 3), and scientific research concludes that bats spent most of their lives walking on land. These bats underwent the critical evolutionary forces to survive, natural selection, Mutation, Genetic Drift, and Migration.

(Museum), A. S. (M. P., & Dai Fukui (University of Tokyo ), S. A. (2018, July 23). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved April 9, 2022,

In 2008, Scientists found a 52 million-year-old fossil, through which scientists determined this bat evolved to fly before it could echolocate.

Beginning Flight-

Bats' ability to fly is critical, as most bats rely on fruits or insects. Being on the ground made them vulnerable to predators, and they migrated long-distance.

For this species to gain powered flight, the evolution of several features was necessary to survive in the changing world. Bats' wings consist of two thin layers of skin stretched over the arms and fingers, consisting of thin and long bones, which enable the bat to fly long distances and capture insects. Futhermore the respiratory system of the bat aids them in flight. During flight, bats raise their oxygen consumption by twenty times or more. Bats have long-clawed thumbs, which enable them to climb trees and grip fruit.

MAINA, J. N., & KING, A. S. (1983). Chiroptrivia 2016. Bedfordshire Bat Group. Retrieved April 9, 2022.

The Chiroptera orders split into two suborders, Megabats and Microbats.

The microbat(Microchiroptera) are visibly smaller bats and are commonly insectivorous. They rely on echolocation(biosonar) to call out to their surrounding environment, navigating their direct location and desired location without eyesight.

Megabats(Megachiroptera) are pteroponidae that rely on fruit and nectar as a food source—having sharp teeth, allowing them to pierce the thick skin of fruits.

Batremoval, B., & Batremoval, R. (2013, July 3). Bat Removal Indiana. Bat removal Indiana. Retrieved April 10, 2022.

The Species Tsushima Tube-Nosed Bat lands in the Chiroptera order, Megachiroptera. Megabats typically have large eyes, more weight in comparison to the microbat,

Scientists claim these subspecies evolved separately because each relies on different food sources and has odd physical features.

The Megabat has a visible ear and a dog-like face, as these bats evolved to climb trees and reach fruit. They developed sharp teeth to pierce the thickest of fruit skins.

The Megabat Genus, Nyctimene(Tube-Nosed Fruit Bat), have shorter faces with tubular nostrils. These Tubular nostrils and sharp teeth allow the Murina Tenebrosa to breathe while inserting its short face into the fruit. The brown skin and yellow spots covering the body provide camouflage-like properties, protecting the bat while harvesting fruit juice.

Tsushima Island is a tropical island located in the Korea Strait, closer to Korea than mainland Japan. Home to multitudes of endangered species, due to the intense deforestation and commercialization of the island. Tsushima Tube-Nosed Bat lives in caves, protecting itself with its wings, providing warmth, and staying out of harm's way of predators. With this loss of habitat, these beautiful Tube-Nosed Bats are facing a rapid and intense extinction, causing them to be a critically endangered species. Attempts to relocate this tropical Japanese bat of recent have failed, leaving scientists to wonder if the Tsushima Tube-Nose Bat has already reached extinction. Tsushima Island. (2022, April 15). Wikipedia.

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