Genetic and developmental changes at early stages of chiropteran evolution: a brief review

Abstract

Recent studies have revealed genetic and developmental changes responsible for the emergence of powered flight and echolocation at early stages of evolution in the bats (Chiroptera). These unique features seem to have been arisen via changes in both structural genes and the systems of gene regulation.

Keywords

• chiroptera
• evolution
• structural genes
• gene regulation
• bat wing
• echolocation