Do Bats Have an Evolutionary History Rooted in Myth or Science?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gear300
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    History Science
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the evolutionary understanding of bats compared to humans. It highlights that humans did not evolve from primates but share a common ancestor with them, as well as with bats, emphasizing that both species are part of the mammalian lineage. The conversation questions the completeness of evolutionary understanding for bats, suggesting that all organisms have incomplete family trees. Participants express curiosity about the scientific evidence surrounding bat origins, with references to articles like one from The Smithsonian. Additionally, there is a tangent discussing the practical advantages of bats in combat scenarios, noting their effectiveness compared to other weapons in low-tech environments.
Gear300
Messages
1,209
Reaction score
9
From where I stand, human evolution from primates is more evidence-based and storied than our understanding of bats. Do we have an evolutionary understanding of bats? Or are their origins still more myth than science?
 
Biology news on Phys.org
Did you find anything while searching for 'bat fossil'?
 
  • Like
Likes russ_watters and BillTre
Rive said:
Did you find anything while searching for 'bat fossil'?
Found this article published in The Smithsonian. I'll give it a read.
 
Humans did not evolve from primates. Humans are part of the primate family (Hominidae). All members of the primate family evolved from a common ancestor.

Humans and bats - both mammals - also share a common ancestor. It doesn't mean one evolved from the other.
 
  • Like
Likes jim mcnamara, pinball1970, russ_watters and 2 others
Gear300 said:
Do we have an evolutionary understanding of bats?
Do we have an evolutionary understanding of anything? Every organism has an incomplete family tree. Where do you draw the line between :"understanding" and "not understabding"?
 
  • Like
Likes Astronuc, russ_watters and BillTre
Gear300 said:
Do we have an evolutionary understanding of bats? Or are their origins still more myth than science?
Bats seem very fit for close combat where it outperforms say bows, a good step up from a fist, yet easy to manufacture, handle and maintain, compared to a sword that needs continous sharpening and a bit more skill to use. A good balance between simplicity, resources and function in the context of a low tech environment 😁

/Fredrik
 
  • Haha
Likes Gear300 and Tom.G
I've been reading a bunch of articles in this month's Scientific American on Alzheimer's and ran across this article in a web feed that I subscribe to. The SA articles that I've read so far have touched on issues with the blood-brain barrier but this appears to be a novel approach to the problem - fix the exit ramp and the brain clears out the plaques. https://www.sciencealert.com/new-alzheimers-treatment-clears-plaques-from-brains-of-mice-within-hours The original paper: Rapid amyloid-β...
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-deadliest-spider-in-the-world-ends-lives-in-hours-but-its-venom-may-inspire-medical-miracles-48107 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versutoxin#Mechanism_behind_Neurotoxic_Properties https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390817301557 (subscription or purchase requred) The structure of versutoxin (δ-atracotoxin-Hv1) provides insights into the binding of site 3 neurotoxins to the voltage-gated sodium channel...
Back
Top