AI Article Synopsis
- The fossil record rarely shows direct interactions between extinct species, but new findings from the middle Eocene of Messel, Germany, reveal fish-mammal associations with holosteans and bats.
- Three holostean fish specimens were found with bat remains in their jaws, indicating these fish likely attempted to swallow the bats and got entangled.
- This represents the earliest evidence of bats being consumed by these fish and highlights the adaptability of both groups in their ancient ecosystem, offering insights into the complex food web of Eocene Lake Messel.
Article Abstract
Direct evidence of trophic interactions between extinct species is rarely available in the fossil record. Here, we describe fish-mammal associations from the middle Eocene of Messel (Germany), consisting of three specimens of holosteans (one (Lepisosteidae) and two (Amiidae)) each preserved with a bat specimen () lying in close contact with its jaws. This suggests that these fishes probably died after failed swallowing attempts, with the bat wing membrane entangled in their jaws resulting in a fatal handicap. Based on data from modern gars and bowfins, and may have opportunistically attacked drowning and dying individuals or scavenged on floating/sinking carcasses. This hypothesis is also supported by the unusually high number of bat specimens preserved in the deposits of the Eocene Lake Messel, suggesting that this group of small mammals may have represented a substantial food source for generalist feeders. This is the earliest case of chiropterophagy and the first known evidence of bat consumption by lepisosteid and amiid fishes, emphasizing the high trophic variability and adaptability of these groups throughout their evolutionary histories. The newly described associations provide important information for reconstructing the Eocene Lake Messel palaeoecosystem and its trophic web.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11371436 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0194 | DOI Listing |
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