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Barbastelle Bat
The nights are getting colder now and there are fewer moths around to eat. I'll be looking for somewhere to hibernate soon.
My CV
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Latin name?
Barbastella barbastellus
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UK population? (How many are in the UK?)
Estimated at 5000 individuals
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Genome Size? (Genome size is the total amount of DNA contained within one copy of a single genome)
Estimated at 2-3 Gb
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Most recent common ancestor to Homo Sapiens (presumed)
Bats are an ancient and diverse group of mammals that originated about 65 million years ago. We don’t know for certain who our most recent common ancestor with humans is, but it probably lived about 80 million years ago and may have looked something like a small shrew. But good news! Sequencing my genome will help us understand more clearly than ever how we are related!!
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I should be sequenced because...: I’m disappearing! My genome will tell us about how adaptable I am to future threats, and how and why bats evolved echolocation and flight.
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About Me::
I am a rare and threatened bat. Across Europe my numbers are decreasing. In some countries, I have already gone extinct! I live in old forests and love to hunt moths at night over rivers and fields. Although I am small I can fly fast and I travel many kilometers each night in search of food. I use echolocation to ‘see’ the world around me in the dark, but I am not blind and actually I see quite well.
Much of my forest home has been lost due to logging, and so in the UK there are few natural places left now where I can live. If I am to survive in the future, I will need your help.
The unique ears of the barbastelle bat
Barbastelle bat hunting in woodland
Working with barbastelle bats
Barbastelle bat marked with a ring for research
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My Interview