Palaeochiropterygidae

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Palaeochiropterygidae is a family of extinct bats that lived during the Middle Eocene, about 55.8 to 40.4 million years ago. The group was named by Swiss naturalist Pierre Revilliod in 1917 after fossils of Palaeochiropteryx found at the Messel Pit in Germany.

Taxonomy and classification
- The family was originally defined around Palaeochiropteryx. In 1980, Kurten and Anderson merged it into Archaeonycteridae, but modern bat researchers keep Palaeochiropterygidae as a separate family.
- In 2007, Smith and colleagues placed it in the unranked clade Microchiropteramorpha.
- Some analyses suggest Palaeochiropterygidae is among the most advanced early bat families and may be closely related to living (crown) bats, but precise internal relationships are still debated because many fossils are fragmentary.

Fossils, species, and distribution
- Two well-preserved species from Messel: Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon and P. spiegeli. P. tupaiodon is the most common mammal found at Messel.
- A third species, P. sambuceus, is known from the middle Eocene of North America.
- Other species are known mainly from isolated teeth and jaw fragments found across Europe, India, Turkey, and possibly North America.

Ecology and lifestyle
- At Messel, these bats are thought to have occupied niches similar to living hippoiderids and rhinolophids, foraging close to the ground among vegetation.
- Their wings had a low aspect ratio and wing loading, and stomachs have been found containing small moths and caddisflies, suggesting slow but highly maneuverable flight.

Biogeography and evolution
- The widespread northern distribution of Palaeochiropterygidae in the early to middle Eocene implies that other members of the group probably had body plans suited to long-distance dispersal.
- They are often considered among the most advanced early bat families and are frequently found to be close relatives of living bats in various analyses.
- Exact relationships within the family are unclear because many potential members are known only from limited fossils.

Genera
- The family includes Palaeochiropteryx and several other genera, such as Matthesia, Cecilionycteris, Stehlinia, Lapichiropteryx, and Anatolianycteris. The membership of some genera is debated, and the full list is not fixed.