''Rhinonicteris tedfordi'' is an extinct species of microbat, of the order

Chiroptera Bats are mammals of the Order (biology), order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in fli ...

, known from fossil material found in Australia.

Taxonomy

The description of the fossil specimens as an extinct species was published by Suzanne J. Hand in 1997. The nearest relative is regarded as the only living species of the family, ''

Rhinonicteris aurantia The orange leaf-nosed bat (''Rhinonicteris aurantia'') is a bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is the only living species in the genus '' Rhinonicteris'' which is endemic to Australia, occurring in the far north and north-west of the continent ...

'', which occurs in two isolated populations across the north of Australia. The genus name is derived from ancient Greek, combining terms for nose, ''rhis'', and bat, ''nycteris''. The specific epithet ''tedfordi'' honours the work of Richard Tedford at Riversleigh, on behalf on thee

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...

, in identifying tertiary mammals in the fossil beds. The author Suzanne J. Hand compared material from a microsite with an earlier description of a

hipposiderid The Hipposideridae are a family of bats commonly known as the Old World leaf-nosed bats. While it has often been seen as a subfamily, Hipposiderinae, of the family Rhinolophidae, it is now more generally classified as its own family.Simmons, 200 ...

species '' Brachipposideros nooraleebus'' and the extant ''

'', the revision of related material resulted in the publication of this species. The type material was obtained at the Bitesantennary Site in early Miocene deposits composed of fossilised bat skulls and bones and snails. The holotype and syntypes are incomplete skulls selected from the large amount of fragmentary material stratigraphically dated to the Miocene. The systematic treatment was as family Hipposideridae Miller 1907, placed with superfamily

Rhinolophoidea Rhinolophoidea is a superfamily of bats. It contains the following families: Craseonycteridae, Hipposideridae, Megadermatidae, Rhinolophidae, Rhinonycteridae, and Rhinopomatidae. It is one of two superfamilies that comprise the suborder Yinpte ...

Weber, 1928 of the suborder Microchiroptera.

Description

A species of the family

Rhinonycteridae Rhinonycteridae is a family of bats, allied to the suborder Microchiroptera. The type species, the orange nose-leafed species group ''Rhinonicteris aurantia'', is found across the north of Australia. Description The family accords with the de ...

Gray, 1866. The remains of the species have been found at several locations of the

Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh) Riversleigh World Heritage Area is Australia's most famous fossil location, recognised for the series of well preserved fossils deposited from the Late Oligocene to more recent geological periods. The fossiliferous limestone system is located ne ...

Ecology

The species ''Rhinonicteris tedfordi'' existed in the

early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 Ma to 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). It was prece ...

period. The fossil records are the earliest example of an endemic lineage of Australian ''

Rhinonicteris ''Rhinonicteris'' is a genus of leaf-nosed microbats, represented by fossil taxa found at Riverleigh in Queensland and the extant species ''Rhinonicteris aurantia'', which occurs in the north and west of the Australian continent. The genus was ...

'', which includes later material of the genus which is yet to be formally described; the fossil ''Rhinonicteris'' material at Riversleigh dates from the Miocene through to the present period. The site was a cave, open to the nearby environment, and contains the remains of probably over ten other microchiropteran species and shells of freshwater snails. The preservation state of a large amount of the type material indicates the fossilisation process began shortly after their deposit. The presence of snails suggests the site was submerged at some period. The

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...

floor of site contains a large

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling") is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q64209278 Miocene bats Hipposideridae Fossils of Australia Miocene mammals of Australia Fossil taxa described in 1997 Riversleigh fauna