NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – An international team has sequenced two new bat genomes in the hopes of learning more about the mammal's unique biological features — from its ability to fly to its propensity for carrying potentially pathogenic viruses.

The new draft genomes represent the fruit bat Pteropus alecto, known as the Black flying fox, and the insect-eating Myotis davidii, or "David's Myotis" bat — species selected from distant branches of the bat family tree.