Ancient spotted bat samples help researchers understand present-day population dynamics

Understanding changes in North American bat populations is critical to measuring the risk of extinction from emerging threats such as habitat loss, climate change, white-nose syndrome and other disturbances. A study published Oct. 7, 2026, in the journal PLOS One by Faith M. Walker of Northern Arizona University in the U.S. and colleagues describes a research design involving the genetic analysis of ancient, modern and contemporary biological samples from North American spotted bats.