Aegyptonycteris fossil map
Where fossils of Aegyptonycteris have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 30 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 37.71–33.9 million years ago (Priabonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Aegyptonycteridae |
| Named by | Simmons et al. 2016 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Egypt |
| Rock formations | Birket Qarun |
About Aegyptonycteris
Aegyptonycteris ("Egyptian bat") is a genus of extinct bat from the Late Eocene of North Africa. It is currently known from a single specimen (holotype CGM 83740) from the Birket Qarun Formation in the Fayum Depression in western Egypt.
Aegyptonycteris is notable both its large size, comparable to the larger modern bat species, as well due to its omnivorous diet, as opposed to the mostly insectivorous diets of other Eocene bats (and the majority of modern species). This makes it a remarkable example of early chiropteran speciation, having not only attained a rather large size but also specialised towards a drastically different ecological niche from its contemporaries.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Aegyptonycteris (revision 1300091193), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q25096543.
