Microchiroptera
/ˌmʌɪkrəʊkʌɪˈrɒpt(ə)rə
/plural noun Zoology
A major division of bats which comprises all but the fruit bats.
- Suborder Microchiroptera, order Chiroptera: many families.
- The other major group of bats, the Microchiroptera or microbats, is quite ecologically diverse.
- An additional explanation for the absence of either mode in Microchiroptera is their reliance on echolocation, and their need to maintain regular sensory input.
Derivatives
microchiropteran
- Megachiropterans and microchiropterans differ in many other ways.
- Other microchiropterans may behave similarly, but this is not evident from patterns of repetition of echolocation calls in flight.
- These fossils represent essentially modern-looking microchiropterans; bats had evolved all of their characteristic features and begun to diversify by this time.
Origin
Modern Latin (plural), from micro- 'small' + Greek kheir 'hand' + pteron 'wing'.