Preface

In 2007, the editors (Gregg F. Gunnell and Nancy B. Simmons), along with graduate student Thomas P. Eiting, organized a symposium for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Austin, TX. This symposium was designed to explore bat evolution by using both morphological and molecular data, and to better elucidate where results gleaned from different data and methodologies agreed and disagreed. It was (and is) our contention that both sets of data are essential to fully understanding the evolutionary history of any group of organisms, and we set out to demonstrate this at the Austin meeting. The symposium was very successful and several participants expressed an interest in contributing to a symposium volume.

During this same time frame, one of the editors (GFG) was aiding in the development of a book series for Cambridge University Press that emphasizes the importance of both molecular and morphological data, and it was decided that a book on bat evolution would be appropriate for the series. Many species of bats have been sampled genetically, and bats have a long history of morphological study because of their unique ability to fly and to navigate by echolocation. Bats also have a rich fossil record extending back over 50 million years, and a geographic distribution that spans most of the globe. Several studies have explored the genetics and morphology of bats and have found much common ground (unlike in some other groups of organisms where there has been more contention than compatibility). These facts, and the enthusiastic support of our authors, led us to propose this volume.