Oldest placental mammal from sub-Saharan Africa: Eocene microbat from Tanzania - Evidence for early evolution of sophisticated echolocation

A partial skeleton of a new fossil microbat, Tanzanycteris mannardi, is the oldest placental mammal found in sub-Saharan Africa. It came from early Lutetian (46 Ma) lake sediments in north-central Tanzania. T. mannardi has enlarged cochleae indicating it was capable of a highly derived form of echolocation. Modern bats sharing similar morphology are capable of precise navigation in dense forest undergrowth. The phylogenetic relationships of T. mannardi are unclear. It shares character states with Eocene Hassianycterididae, with extant Microchiroptera, and with Rhinolophoidea within Microchiroptera. T. mannardi is important in documenting early evolution of sophisticated bat echolocating abilities and demonstrating that Tanzanian crater lakes offer an opportunity for future discoveries of Eocene mammals from the African interior.