Definition

Noun 1. A taxonomic order of mammals: "Order Chiroptera" is the scientific name for the biological order comprising all species of bats. It is characterized by mammals whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight.

Usage

• Scientific Classification: The term is used primarily in scientific, zoological, and biological contexts to classify and discuss bats as a distinct group within the class Mammalia.
  • The study focused on the evolutionary history of Order Chiroptera.
  • All bats, from the large flying foxes to the tiny bumblebee bat, belong to Order Chiroptera.

Advanced Usage

• In Taxonomic Hierarchy: The term specifies a precise rank (order) within the Linnaean system of classification. It sits below the class Mammalia and is divided into suborders.
  • The two suborders within Order Chiroptera are Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera.

Variants and Related Words

• Chiropteran (noun/adjective): A member of the Chiroptera order; relating to or characteristic of bats.
  • The fossil provided new insights into early chiropteran morphology.
• Chiropterology (noun): The branch of zoology that deals with the study of bats.
  • Her life's work was dedicated to chiropterology.

Synonyms

• Bats (common noun): The common English name for members of Order Chiroptera.
• Chiropterans (scientific noun): A direct synonym used in scientific literature.

Notes on Meaning

• The definition is fixed and specific to zoological taxonomy. It does not have multiple everyday meanings. The name "Chiroptera" itself is derived from Greek words for "hand" (cheir) and "wing" (pteron), referring to the wing structure.

Noun

1. an old order dating to early Eocene: bats: suborder Megachiroptera (fruit bats); suborder Microchiroptera (insectivorous bats)