''Submyotodon'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

vespertilionid Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat familie ...

bats, published as a new taxon in 2003 to describe a

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

fossil species. Extant species and subspecies previously included in ''

Myotis The mouse-eared bats or myotises are a diverse and widespread genus (''Myotis'') of bats within the family Vespertilionidae. The noun "''myotis''" itself is a New Latin construction, from the Greek "''muós'' (meaning "mouse") and "''oûs''" (mea ...

'' were later transferred to this genus. Species in this genus are referred to as broad-muzzled bats or broad-muzzled myotises.

Taxonomy and etymology

''Submyotodon'' was described as a new genus of bat in 2003, based on

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

specimens found near Eichstätt, Germany. The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

is '' Submyotodon petersbuchensis''. The genus name ''Submyotodon'' is from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

prefix ('under' or 'close to'), + the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

roots (, 'mouse') + (, , 'ear') + (, , 'tooth'). This refers to the fact that its

molars The molars or molar teeth are large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammals. They are used primarily to grind food during chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, ''molaris dens'', meaning "millstone to ...

are similar to those of the

mouse-eared bat The mouse-eared bats or myotises are a diverse and widespread genus (''Myotis'') of bats within the family Vespertilionidae. The noun "''myotis''" itself is a New Latin construction, from the Greek "''muós'' (meaning "mouse") and "''oûs''" (mea ...

s, e.g. "myotodont" molars. Myotodont molars are characterized by a postcristid (enamel ridge linking the

hypoconid Many different terms have been proposed for features of the tooth crown in mammals. The structures within the molars receive different names according to their position and morphology. This nomenclature was developed by Henry Fairfield Osborn ...

and hypoconulid) that links to the entoconid (inner posterior cusp of a molar). ''Submyotodon'' is the second extant genus included in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Myotinae Myotinae is a subfamily of vesper bats. It contains three genera: ''Eudiscopus'', '' Myotis'', and ''Submyotodon''. Before the description of ''Submyotodon'' and analysis of its phylogenetics, as well as a phylogenetic analysis of ''Eudiscopus'', ...

. Before the description of ''Submyotodon'' and analysis of its phylogenetics, the only member of Myotinae was the genus ''Myotis''.

Species

Extant

* ''

Submyotodon caliginosus ''Submyotodon'' is a genus of vespertilionid bats, published as a new taxon in 2003 to describe a Miocene fossil species. Extant species and subspecies previously included in ''Myotis'' were later transferred to this genus. Species in this genus ...

'' ( Tomes, 1859) - Himalayan broad-muzzled bat * '' Submyotodon latirostris'' (

Kishida is a Japanese politician serving as Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. A member of the House of Representatives, he previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017 and ...

, 1932) - Taiwan broad-muzzled bat * '' Submyotodon moupinensis'' ( Milne-Edwards, 1872) - Moupin broad-muzzled bat

Fossil

* '' Submyotodon petersbuchensis'' Ziegler, 2003

Range

The extinct ''S. petersbuchensis'' was discovered in

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 betwe ...

. The three extant species are found in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, including

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q19521380 Submyotodon Bat genera Extant Miocene first appearances