Murgon Bat (Australonycteris clarkae)
Murgon Bat. Illustration: © A Musser.
Lived: 55 million years ago (early Eocene)
Size: Wingspan: 20cm
Description: The Murgon Bat is the oldest bat found in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the oldest bats in the world. Fifty-five million years ago it swooped through the forests and over swampy lakes, catching insects and perhaps even small fish.
Ear bones of the Murgon Bat show that it could navigate using echolocation, like most bats do today.
Fossils: Teeth, a jaw, ear bones and wing bones of the Murgon Bat have been found at Murgon in southeastern Queensland.
Did you know?: Until fossils of the Murgon Bat were found, scientists thought that bats first colonised Australia about 35 million years ago. Discovery of the Murgon Bat showed that bats have been on the continent for at least 55 million years.
