The description of Brevipalatus mcculloughi was published in 2005 by senior researchers at the Riversleigh fossil sites Suzanne Hand and Mike Archer, separated from other bats of the hipposiderid family by a new genus.

A specific epithet was selected by the authors to honour Ron McCullough, then mayor of Mount Isa in Queensland, Australia, who is credited with giving extensive support to the research and recognition of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area.

The dentition of Brevipalatus mcculloughi, along with other structures of the ear and rostrum found in modern species of leaf-nosed bats, indicate they also consumed nocturnal insects like moths that were caught in flight.

[2] Brevipalatus mcculloughi was discovered in a fossil deposit known as the Bitesantennary site, a diverse assemblage of bat species and other Riversleigh fauna of the time.

This site was a cave within a limestone formation that was occupied by B. mcculloughi during the early Miocene, classified in Riversleigh research as Faunal Zone B.