''Hassianycteris'' is an extinct genus of
Early Eocene
In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age or lowest stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by the Eocene Lutetian Age. The Ypresian ...
(
Ypresian
In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age or lowest stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by the Eocene Lutetian Age. The Ypresian ...
)
bats from the
Hassianycterididae with two or three known species: the type (''H. messelensis''), found in the
Messel pit
The Messel pit (german: Grube Messel) is a disused quarry near the village of Messel (Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hesse) about southeast of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Bituminous shale was mined there. Because of its abundance of well-preserved ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, ''H. kumasi'', found in the
Cambay Shale Formation
Cambay, Kambay or Khambhat was a princely state in India during the British Raj. The City of Khambat (Cambay) in present-day Gujarat was its capital. The state was bounded in the north by the Kaira district and in the south by the Gulf of Cam ...
(Vastan
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...
Mine),
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, and the possible third species "''H.''" ''joeli'', found in the
Kortijk Clay Formation,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
. Alongside ''
Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon
''Palaeochiropteryx'' ( ) is an extinct genus of bat from the Middle Eocene of Europe and North America. It contains three very similar species – ''Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon'' and ''Palaeochiropteryx spiegeli'', both from the famous Messel ...
'' (alive roughly 48 million years ago), ''P. tupaiodon'' and ''Hassianycteris kumari'' are the first fossil mammals whose colouration has been discovered: both were reddish-brown when alive.
''H. messelensis'' was probably a similar colour when alive.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q104882675
Prehistoric bat genera
Fossil taxa described in 1981