Desmodus draculae
| Desmodus draculae Temporal range: Pleistocene (Uquian-Lujanian)-Holocene ~ | |
|---|---|
| Scientific 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, Ecuador, Brazil, Venezuela, Belize, and Bolivia.
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.
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