Desmodus draculae

Desmodus draculae
Temporal range: Pleistocene (Uquian-Lujanian)-Holocene
~2.5–0.01 Ma
↓
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Genus: Desmodus
Species:
†D. draculae
Binomial name
†Desmodus draculae
Morgan et al. 1988

Desmodus draculae is an extinct species of vampire bat that inhabited Central and South America during the Pleistocene, and possibly the early Holocene. It was 30% larger than its living relative the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus). Fossils and unmineralized subfossils have been found in Argentina, Mexico,[1][2] Ecuador, Brazil, Venezuela, Belize, and Bolivia.[3][4]

Most records of D. draculae are from the late Pleistocene, but some are from the Holocene. A Desmodus canine tooth discovered in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina came from sediments dated at 300 years BP (ca. 1650 A.D.); this fossil was tentatively assigned to D. draculae.[5]

  1. ^ Grady, Frederick; Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaguin; Garton, E. (2002). "The northernmost occurrence of the Pleistocene vampire bat Desmodus stocki Jones (Chiroptera: Phyllostomatidae: Desmodontinae) in eastern North America". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 93 (93): 73–75. doi:10.5479/si.00810266.93.73.
  2. ^ Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaquin; Alvarez, Ticul (2003). "A preliminary report of the late Quaternary mammal fauna from Loltún Cave, Yucatán, México". Ice Age Cave Faunas of North America: 262–272.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference iucn 2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Czaplewski 2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pardinas 2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).