How Bats Evolved Into Vampires & What It Takes To Live On Blood (2024)

This could sound like something from a horror-fantasy movie script - Viral, bacterial and mammalian genes have combined to create an animal that needs to feed on blood!

However, seen from another perspective, this is the fascinating tale of how evolution has acted on a species of the bat so that it can exploit one of the most niche food sources ever.

Now, a new research paper assesses the genome of the vampire bat, as a whole. The authors of this article have also uncovered valuable insights on how the bats' gut microbiome protects the animals from the (significant) downside of their diet.

How Vampire Bats Feed

Sanguinovores are rare bat species that are now so well-adapted to drinking blood that it is all they eat. These creatures hail from the Desmodontinae subfamily in the mammalian order of Chiroptera.

The three Desmodontinae species of the bat share highly specialized traits such as the ability to detect potential 'donors' under various conditions. These mammals can even pinpoint bare skin so they can identify where to bite.

A whole-genome study of one of the vampire bat species, Desmodus rotundus, suggests that the contents of their guts have, over time, become highly adapted to their unusual diet. This adaptation is as much to confer protection on the bats from their diet as to help them digest it.

The Downsides of Vampirism

Dependency on a blood-rich diet could also have its downsides.

Blood is surprisingly low in many vitamins, fats, and carbohydrates, at least, from the bat's perspective. In addition, the blood of many animals is likely to contain potential pathogenic viruses or bacteria.

The vampire bats may cope with this by cultivating a gut microbiome or a community of 'friendly' bacteria. It appears that this microbiome found in Desmodus rotundus is also present to address vitamin deficiencies and compensate for the negligible fat content in their diet. Therefore, it seems that the bats have specifically evolved to live symbiotically with their gut bacteria.

How Bats Evolved Into Vampires & What It Takes To Live On Blood (1)

Common vampire bat, D. rotundus, feeding on animal blood (Source: Public Domain)

In cases such as these, the combined genomes of animal and bacterial species can be termed as hologenome. The hologenome also consists of beneficial genetic traits picked up from other species in the course of evolutionary history.

The Desmodus rotundus hologenome was assessed by sequencing and collating it, in remarkably fine detail. Researchers divided the entire sequence into fragments of 1000 kilobases or less, each. They subsequently reduced it to smaller fragments of up to 8.8 kilobases. This process was performed in order to isolate and identify individual genes or specific groups of genes.

Plant Genes in Sanguinovores?

Many of the genes corresponded to completely different species besides Desmodus rotundus. This observation was made, by experts, in the course of a comparative genomic analysis, where genes found in the sequences were matched with known genes associated with various species.

This study resulted in findings that D. rotundus had incorporated genes from other bat types in the past, which included an insectivore, Pteronotus parnellii, a fruit-eater (Pteropus vampyrus), and the greater false vampire bat, Megaderma lyra.

The analysis also found genes and genetic motifs found in plants and ruminants. On the other hand, that kind of genetic information is found in all kinds of species, including humans.

The D. rotundus genome had picked up and incorporated a number of viral genes particular to the Chiroptera order. They are known as endogenous viral elements. These elements could have been present to confer an evolutionary immunity to the stand-alone viruses in question.

The elements found in the vampire bat genome were particularly diverse compared to non-bat mammals and included those of the Parvoviridae and Bornaviridae species.

Additionally, the genes were also in line with those associated with other bats. However, bats may also incorporate retroviral elements into their DNA, but they were found to be remarkably diminished in the D. rotundus genome.

Vampire Genes

D. rotundus also exhibited specific genetic adaptations from their sanguivore (or blood-eating) lifestyle.

For example, 'custom' splicing of the TRPV1 gene was associated with the bat's ability to sense thermal impulses. The gene TAS2R3, involved in the perception of bitter tastes, had also been selectively emphasized during D. rotundus' evolution.

The vampire bat's gut metagenome, which represented the microbiome, equated to nearly 90 gigabases of genetic data. This may have corresponded to just over 30 individual bacteria types, some of which were shared by the metagenomes of carnivorous or insectivorous bats. However, other parts of the metagenome were found to be unique to D. rotundus.

The vampire bat is called so because it survives by drinking the blood of other animals living in its native environment, Latin America. The name, in fact, refers to three separate bat species. One of them, D. rotundus, has been the subject of a 'holistic' genetic analysis.

This study has underpinned the importance of the bat's gut microbiome to its ability to derive benefits from its evolutionary niche. It now appears that D. rotundus also requires a unique profile of gut bacteria to do so.

In addition, the bat's genome has undergone extensive variations to sense its prey and drink blood.

The paper was recently published in the journal, Nature Ecology & Evolution, and represents the importance of the association between genes and biological traits.

Top Image: Desmodus rotundus, a common type of vampire bat (Source: Public Domain)

References

M. L. Zepeda Mendoza, et al. (2018) Hologenomic adaptations underlying the evolution of sanguivory in the common vampire bat. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2:(4). pp.659-668.

S. R. Bordenstein, et al. (2015) Host Biology in Light of the Microbiome: Ten Principles of Holobionts and Hologenomes. PLoS Biol. 13:(8). pp.e1002226.

P. Aiewsakun, et al. (2015) Endogenous viruses: Connecting recent and ancient viral evolution. Virology. 479-480: pp.26-37.

M. Escalera-Zamudio, et al. (2015) A novel endogenous betaretrovirus in the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) suggests multiple independent infection and cross-species transmission events. J Virol. 89:(9). pp.5180-5184.

Brandslet S, 2018, Vampire bats’ bloody teamwork, https://geminiresearchnews.com/2018/04/vampire-bats-bloody-teamwork/, (accessed on 11 Apr 2018)

How Bats Evolved Into Vampires & What It Takes To Live On Blood (2024)

FAQs

How Bats Evolved Into Vampires & What It Takes To Live On Blood? ›

How did vampire bats evolve to survive on blood alone? According to research published in Science Advances, scientists found that the loss of 13 genes in vampire bats over the course of their evolution may be the reason why they can survive on blood. Of these 13 genes, 10 were previously unknown gene losses.

How do bats survive on blood? ›

In a new study, researchers analyzed the DNA and microbiome of three species of vampire bat, the only obligate blood-eating mammals (aka sanguivores) in the world. Their results revealed that gut bacteria are key to the bats' ability to survive on the vital red liquid. (See "The Vampires That Feed on Vampires.")

What is the origin of vampires turning into bats? ›

Bram Stoker's iconic novel Dracula popularized the image of vampires as cruel monsters who shapeshift into bats. If Stoker's Count Dracula could have been more of the generous vampire bat and less of the psychotic killer, things could have turned out differently for the arch-villain.

How do vampire bats detect blood? ›

Vampire bats use infrared sensors on their lips to locate blood vessels in their prey, scientists have discovered.

How do vampire bats adapt to their environment? ›

Its adaptations to drinking blood include not just extremely sharp incisor teeth, but heat sensors on its nose, as well as strong hind legs and thumbs that help the bat climb around on its prey and take off after feeding. The fur of the vampire bat varies in colour, through golden or reddish brown down to darker greys.

Can vampire bats survive without blood? ›

A vampire bat can only survive about two days without feeding, yet they cannot be guaranteed of finding food every night. This poses a problem, so when a bat fails to find food, it will often "beg" another bat for food. A "donor" bat may regurgitate a small amount of blood to sustain the other member of the colony.

How long can vampire bats go without blood? ›

Because blood is so low in calories, vampire bats will die if they go without feeding for more than a few nights in a row.

Why are vampires afraid of garlic? ›

Garlic, specifically the chemical compound allicin inside garlic, is a powerful antibiotic. Some European beliefs around vampires stated they were created by a disease of the blood, so a powerful antibiotic would “kill” a vampire.

How do vampire bats have babies? ›

Life Cycle. Vampire bats are sexually mature at nine months of age. Mating occurs year round, and pregnant bats roost together in a nursery group. After a gestation of 205-214 days, females give birth to a single pup weighing about two-tenths of an ounce (5-7 g); twins are rare.

What is the saliva of vampire bats? ›

Vampire bat salivary glands secrete saliva containing anticoagulants and fibrinolytic enzymes that prevent blood clotting, both during ingestion as well as inside the gastrointestinal tract during the processes of digestion and elimination of excess water [13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21].

What is the lifespan of a vampire bat? ›

Vampire bats live up to nine years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.

How long do vampires live? ›

They live immortal lifespans, despite these weaknesses, and it is fairly common for a vampire to be centuries old, although they still slowly age; a vampire who is six hundred years old may appear as a middle-aged breather would.

Do bats feel pain? ›

Like any other animal, bats have expressions that clearly show pain, fear, happiness and being content. Unfortunately, many of the photos shown by researchers are those of bats clearly in pain from having their wings pinned back or outstretched, or from being scuffed by the skin of the neck.

Why do vampire bats need blood to survive? ›

Though vampire movies treat blood like an elixir, the watery fluid is nearly devoid of carbohydrates and fats, and it has few calories. Because of these deficiencies, vampire bats have lower insulin levels than other mammals and must drink up to 1.4 times their body weight in blood at each meal to get enough nutrients.

What helps vampire bats survive? ›

Vampire bats glide stealthily through the night air as they search for food. Like the legendary monster that they're named after, these small mammals drink the blood of other animals for survival. They feed on cows, pigs, horses, and birds.

How do vampire bats survive on blood alone? ›

How did vampire bats evolve to survive on blood alone? According to research published in Science Advances, scientists found that the loss of 13 genes in vampire bats over the course of their evolution may be the reason why they can survive on blood. Of these 13 genes, 10 were previously unknown gene losses.

Do bats only feed on blood? ›

Only three species of bats in the world eat blood and these are the vampire bats of Central and South America. All bats in Canada eat nothing but insects (and other arthropods) and in most cases, only flying insects.

Do any bats feed on blood? ›

Vampire bats are sanguivores, organisms that feed upon the blood of other animals. They are the only mammals that feed exclusively on blood. Despite horror-movie depictions, vampire bats very rarely bite humans to feed on their blood.

What is the only animal that service on a diet of blood? ›

Vampire bats are the only mammals that feed solely on blood—an odd and potentially dangerous diet. Blood is very low in vitamins and high in protein, making it difficult for the kidneys to digest.

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