Some flowers may have evolved long stems to be better ‘seen’ by bats

Some flowers may have evolved long stems to make it easier for echolocating bats to find them.

Like insects and hummingbirds, bats that feed on nectar are important pollinators for hundreds of species of plant, including mango and agave. Many of these plants have flowers that share distinctive characteristics to appeal to bats such as opening at night or giving off a musty odour. These flowers also tend to have long stems that hang down from branches or extend from trunks.

Nathan Muchhala at the University of Missouri–St.…