EQUATORIAL GUINEA, —

Laura Torrent did not know that the tiny brown bat she caught in early 2024 would become a global milestone for biodiversity and conservation.

She had suspected the small creature, caught during an expedition in Equatorial Guinea, could match a mysterious bat specimen collected more than 30 years ago, but it would take months of work and scientific review to confirm. Advertisement

That bat — which Torrent dubbed Pipistrellus etula — marks the 1,500th species of bat to be discovered.

Bats are the second-most diverse group of mammals. Of the more than 6,800 mammal species known to scientists today, bats make up 22%. They are surpassed only by rodents, which have about 2,790 distinct species.

Bats are the only mammals that can fly (sorry, flying squirrels). Flight a

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