Mystacina is the sole surviving genus of the Mystacinidae family of bats. It has three known species, of which only the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) is confirmed to survive today. The closely related New Zealand greater short-tailed bat (Mystacina robusta) has not had a confirmed sighting since 1965 and is thought to be extinct.[1] The third species, Mystacina miocenalis, is known from the Middle Miocene, some 19–16 million years ago.[2][3]
| Mystacina | |
|---|---|
| |
| New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat, (Mystacina tuberculata) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Mystacinidae |
| Genus: | Mystacina Gray in Dieffenbach, 1843 |
| Type species | |
| Mystacina tuberculata Gray, 1843
| |
| Species | |
References
edit- ^ Blackburn (1965). "Muttonbird islands diary". Notornis. 12 (4): 191–207.
- ^ Hand, S.J. (2015). "Miocene Fossils Reveal Ancient Roots for New Zealand's Endemic Mystacina (Chiroptera) and Its Rainforest Habitat". PLOS ONE. 10 (6): e0128871. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1028871H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128871. PMC 4470663. PMID 26083758.
- ^ Thompson, Helen. "16 Million Years Ago This Giant Bat Walked the Jungles of New Zealand". Smithsonian.