xxii. 2 BATS 585 



('Lipotyphla'). There are various genera of elephant shrews in Africa, 

 all with long trunk-like snouts. They are partly diurnal and proceed 

 by a series of jumps with their long back legs. There are five digits in 

 hand and foot. The tree shrews, Tupaia and its allies, are diurnal, 

 arboreal, squirrel-like creatures with a long tail. They feed on insects 

 or fruit and show many lemuroid characters. For instance, there is a 

 complete post-orbital bar, and the brain has larger hemispheres 

 than in Macroscelides or other insectivores, and less development of 

 the olfactory regions. The eyes, lateral geniculate body, and visual 

 cortex are well developed. These animals, though they are like 

 insectivores, have a life very like that of lemurs and they are often 

 classified with the primates ; they show how narrow is the gap between 

 the two groups, but we need not worry unduly whether they 'really' 

 belong in one group or the other. 



2. Order Chiroptera. Bats 



Cohort Unguiculata 

 Order 2. Chiroptera 



Suborder 1. Megachiroptera. Oligocene-Recent 

 Family Pteropidae. Asia, Australia, Africa 

 Pteropus, fruit bat 

 Suborder 2. Microchiroptera. Eocene-Recent 

 18 families, including: 

 Family Rhinolophidae 



Rhinolophus, horseshoe bats, Europe, Asia, Australasia 

 Family Phyllostomatidae 



Desmodus, vampire bats, S. America 

 Family Vespertilionidae 



Vespertilio, European bats, Palaearctic 

 Order 3. Dermoptera. Palaeocene-Recent 



Cynocephalus (= Galeopithecus), colugo or flying lemur, Asia 

 # Order 4. Taeniodonta. Palaeocene-Eocene. N. America 



*Psittacotherium 

 *Order 5. Tillodontia. Palaeocene-Eocene. Europe, N. America 

 * Tillotherium 



Except for their specializations for flight the bats stand very close to 

 the insectivores. They diverged early, however, and their characteristics 

 were already developed in the Eocene. They are the only mammals 

 that truly fly, by flapping the wings, as distinct from the soaring of 

 flying phalangers, colugos, and others. The wing is a patagium or fold 



