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
Temporal range: MioceneRecent
19–recent Ma
New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat, (Mystacina tuberculata)
Scientific classification Edit this 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

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  1. ^ Blackburn (1965). "Muttonbird islands diary". Notornis. 12 (4): 191–207.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Thompson, Helen. "16 Million Years Ago This Giant Bat Walked the Jungles of New Zealand". Smithsonian.