Macroderma koppa facts for kids

Macroderma koppa is an ancient type of bat. Its fossils have been found in Australia. This bat was quite large and ate meat, just like some modern bats. It belonged to a family called megadermatids. Macroderma koppa looked a lot like today's Ghost Bat, also known as the false vampire bat. It hunted and ate small animals like mammals, reptiles, birds, and frogs. Scientists found bones of its prey where these bats used to live and eat.

Discovering the Ancient Bat: Macroderma koppa

Scientists first learned about Macroderma koppa from fossils. These fossils were found in the Wellington Caves in New South Wales, Australia. The specific spot where they found the main fossils is called Big Sink. This cave system has many places with old animal remains.

When a new species is found, scientists pick a main fossil. This main fossil is called a holotype. For Macroderma koppa, the holotype was a skull with all its teeth. Other important fossils are called paratypes. These help show different features of the animal.

The scientists who named this bat chose "koppa" for its species name. This name comes from a local Indigenous story. Koppa is a spirit linked to the caves where the fossils were found.

What Did Macroderma koppa Look Like?

Macroderma koppa was a type of megadermatid bat. It is closely related to the group of bats called Macroderma. Scientists believe Macroderma koppa was a "sister species" to the Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas). The Ghost Bat is a meat-eating bat that lives in northern Australia today.

At first, in 1987, the fossils found at Big Sink were thought to be from the modern Ghost Bat. But a scientist named Suzanne Hand studied them more closely. She noticed special features that showed it was a different species. This meant Macroderma koppa had developed on its own path.

Macroderma koppa was bigger than an even older bat species called Macroderma godthelpi. Scientists think Macroderma godthelpi might have been its ancestor. Macroderma koppa was about the same size as the modern Ghost Bat. However, it had some key differences. Its nose-shield was not as developed. It also had two small holes near its eyes (called infraorbital foramina) instead of just one. Its front teeth and premolars were also larger.

Where Did Macroderma koppa Live?

The fossils of Macroderma koppa were found in Cathedral Cave. This part of the cave system is very old. Scientists used special methods to date the layers of rock. They found that these fossils came from the Pliocene epoch. This area was also linked to a phosphate mine.

The Big Sink site is special because it has fossils from the Pliocene time. Most other fossils in the Wellington Caves are from a later time, the Pleistocene epoch. The age of these fossils has been checked. Scientists compared them to dates from the Riversleigh sites. Other types of megadermatid bats have been found there too.

Many bones of Macroderma koppa were found at this site. There was also evidence of the animals they ate. This suggests that the cave was a busy place for these bats. It might have been a place where mothers had their babies. It was also likely a feeding roost, where they brought their prey to eat.