A New Miocene Molossid Bat from La Venta, Colombia, South America

Abstract

A new genus and species of fossil molossid bat, Kiotomops lopezi, from the Middle Miocene La Venta fauna in Colombia, is described. In South America only two other Tertiary bats have been discovered: Notonycteris magdalenensis and Mormopterus faustoi. The former, known only from its lower dentition, is classified in the Phyllostomidae; the latter, in the Molossidae, by its upper molar morphology. Kiotomops lopezi is established based on an upper molar showing molossid affinity but is clearly different from Mormopterus in the absence of hypocone. It is closely related to Molossus and its allies. The upper molar of Kiotomops shows typical dilambdodonty and has three noticeable characteristic features; (1) lack of hypocone and basal-cingulum, (2) presence of a conical parastyle and trigonal pyramid-like "stylocone-like lobe", and (3) having a posteriorly situated mesostyle. Although the phylogenetic relations among the genera within the family Molossidae are not well understood, we regard Kiotomops as a specialized side branch, closely related to the genus Molossus.