Mystacina is the sole surviving genus of the Mystacinidae family of bats. It has three known species, of which only the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) is confirmed to survive today. The closely related New Zealand greater short-tailed bat (Mystacina robusta) has not had a confirmed sighting since 1965 and is thought to be extinct.[1] The third species, Mystacina miocenalis, is known from the Middle Miocene, some 19–16 million years ago.[2][3]
References
- ^ Blackburn (1965). "Muttonbird islands diary". Notornis. 12 (4): 191–207.
- ^ Hand, S.J. (2015). "Miocene Fossils Reveal Ancient Roots for New Zealand's Endemic Mystacina (Chiroptera) and Its Rainforest Habitat". PLOS ONE. 10 (6): e0128871. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1028871H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128871. PMC 4470663. PMID 26083758.
- ^ Thompson, Helen. "16 Million Years Ago This Giant Bat Walked the Jungles of New Zealand". Smithsonian.
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