Bats seem to defy many of biology’s rules. They are the only mammals capable of powered flight, many of them navigate using echolocation, they tolerate an astonishingly high viral load without signs of illness and they often live longer than their body size would suggest. Yet key aspects of bat evolution have been surprisingly challenging to resolve. Writing in Nature, Morales et al.1 report the assembled genomes of 103 bat species, 42 of which were generated as part of the study, including representatives from all 21 taxonomic families. This landmark data set offers an unprecedented look at bat evolution, revealing how genomes, lineages and defining traits have diversified over time. The genomic resources that it provides are set to power comparative studies for years to come.
Competing Interests
The author declares no competing interests.
