Pteropus fossil map
Where fossils of Pteropus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 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 0 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 | 0.774 million years ago to the present (Chibanian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Quaternary |
| Family | Pteropodidae |
| Named by | Brisson 1762 |
| Fossil records | 58 occurrences at 17 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Northern Mariana Islands, Mauritius, Palau, Niue, New Caledonia, Guam, Madagascar, Cook Islands, Thailand |
| Rock formations | txn:40624 |
About Pteropus
Pteropus (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names.
They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, East Africa, and some oceanic islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
There are at least 60 extant species in the genus.
Flying foxes eat fruit and other plant matter, and occasionally consume insects as well. They locate resources with their keen sense of smell.
Most, but not all, are nocturnal. They navigate with keen eyesight, as they cannot echolocate.
They have long life spans and low reproductive outputs, with females of most species producing only one offspring per year. Their slow life history makes their populations vulnerable to threats such as overhunting, culling, and natural disasters. Six flying fox species have been made extinct in modern times by overhunting. Flying foxes are often persecuted for their real or perceived role in damaging crops. They are ecologically beneficial by assisting in the regeneration of forests via seed dispersal. They benefit ecosystems and human interests by pollinating plants.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pteropus (revision 1380886152), 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: Q1241332.
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