![]() The type species of the genus is the Mauritian flying fox, Pteropus niger (described as Vespertilio vampyrus niger by Robert Kerr in 1792). Despite rejecting the majority of the publication, the ICZN decided to conserve a dozen generic names from the work and retain Brisson as authority, including Pteropus. In 1998, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) decided that Brisson's 1762 publication was a "rejected work" for nomenclatural purposes. Although the Brisson publication (1762) predated the Erxleben publication (1777), thus giving him preference under the Principle of Priority, some authors gave preference to Erxleben as genus authority because Brisson's publication did not consistently use binomial nomenclature. Prior to 1998, genus authority was sometimes given to German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben. The genus name Pteropus was coined by French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1762. Some cultures still use their teeth as currency today. Their fur and teeth were used as currency in the past. They have cultural significance to indigenous people, with appearances in traditional art, folklore, and weaponry. Nipah virus is also transmitted by flying foxes-it affects more people, with over 100 attributed fatalities. Like other bats, flying foxes are relevant to humans as a source of disease, as they are the reservoirs of rare but fatal disease agents including Australian bat lyssavirus, which causes rabies, and Hendra virus seven known human deaths have resulted from these two diseases. They benefit ecosystems and human interests by pollinating plants. They are ecologically beneficial by assisting in the regeneration of forests via seed dispersal. Flying foxes are often persecuted for their real or perceived role in damaging crops. Six flying fox species have been made extinct in modern times by overhunting. Their slow life history makes their populations vulnerable to threats such as overhunting, culling, and natural disasters. They have long life spans and low reproductive outputs, with females of most species producing only one offspring per year. They navigate with keen eyesight, as they cannot echolocate. They locate resources with their keen sense of smell. įlying foxes eat fruit and other plant matter, and occasionally consume insects as well. There are at least 60 extant species in the genus. They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, East Africa, and some oceanic islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. Pteropus (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world.
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