Witwatia

Witwatia (from the Egyptian Arabic Wit Wat meaning "large, flapping wings") is an extinct genus of giant bat that contained two species which lived in the Al Fayyum in Egypt during the late Eocene (Priabonian epoch) and one species which lived in Tunisia during the early Eocene. It is known from a lower jaw and teeth. Three species have been named: the type species W. schlosseri, W. eremicus and W. sigei.^[1][2]

Witwatia Temporal range: 37–33 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Eocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	†Philisidae
Genus:	†Witwatia Gunnell et al., 2008
Species
W. schlosseri Gunnell et al., 2008 (type) W. eremicus Gunnell et al., 2008 W. sigei Ravel et al., 2012

Ecology

These were large-sized carnivorous bats, possessing large canines, robust jaws and slicing molars. Opportunistic frugivory has been suggested,^[2] but since rejected.^[3] The largest forms such as Witwatia schlosseri were comparable in size and possibly ecology to the modern Vampyrum spectrum.^[3]

Witwatia is not related to Aegyptonycteris, a contemporary genus of similarly sized giant bat, indicating that the Fayum Depression environment was home to at least two lineages of large-sized chiropterans that developed gigantism independently.^[3]

See also

• Fayyum (fossil deposit)