Ancient Shark-Like Whale Roamed Australia’s Surf Coast 26 Million Years Ago
Imagine the warm and shallow seas of ancient Australia about 26 million years ago. Among the fish schools, a small but formidable predator hides. His huge eyes scramble for movement, his mouth bristling with razor hole teeth.
It was Janjucetus DULARDIA compact hunter on the size of a dolphin, now known to a remarkably well -preserved fossil found along the Victoria surf coast.
Scientists at the Victoria Museum Research Institute officially described new species in a study published in the Linnean Society Zoological Journal. The discovery offers a rare insight on the early evolution of ball whales, the giants who now slide peacefully in our oceans.
An old whale fossil in the sand
The story began in June 2019, when local resident Ross Dullard spotted a curious fragment on the beach near Jan Juc, a popular surf hotspot alongside the south-eastern coast of Australia. The fossil turned out to be a partial skull with bones and teeth, an extraordinary discovery that Dullard gave to the Victoria museums for a more in -depth investigation.
“This type of public discovery and its report to the museum is vital,” said Erich Fitzgerald, principal curator of the paleontology of vertebrates at the Victoria Research Institute and the main study, in a press release. “The discovery of Ross has released an entire chapter of the evolution of whales that we have never seen before. It is a reminder that the fossils that change the world can be found in your own backyard.”
Learn more: How an ancient fossil found in Egypt can explain the evolution of whales
A baby whale with a bite
Despite belonging to the same line as modern boulen whales, Janjucetus DULARDI was not a sweet giant. Barely 7 feet long, he was a juvenile member of an extinguished group called Mammal, the first whales who only lived during the time of the Oligocene, between 30 million years and 23 million years.
With a short muzzle, eyes facing forward and sharp teeth, it was built for speed and hunting for precision.
“It is essentially a little whale with large eyes and a mouth full of sharp and sharp teeth,” said Ruaidh Duncan, a student and the main study of the study, in the press release. “Imagine the shark -shaped version of a Baleen whale – small and deceptively cute, but certainly not harmless.”
In addition, the analysis of inner ear structures still intact and delicate using micro-computer tomography helped scientists understand how J. DULARDI Driven, communicated and sailed in their aqueous world.
Study the ancient past
The formation of Jan JUC rich in fossils, where the fossil was discovered, dates back to a period when the climate of the land was warmer and that the sea level was increasing. Among the mammals, this discovery is particularly rare: it is the third species identified with Victoria, the fourth known on a global scale, and the only one preserving its teeth and the complex structures of the inner ear.
Fitzgerald noted that the fossil offers an unprecedented overview of how the old whales have developed and adapted to marine life. He added that understanding how these animals were prospering in hot oceans millions of years ago could shed light on how modern marine species could react to the rapidly evolving climate today.
“This region was once a cradle for some of the most unusual whales in history, and we are just starting to discover their stories,” said Fitzgerald. “We are entering a new discovery phase. This region rewrites the history of the way the whales came to govern the oceans, with some surprising twists and turns! ”
The name of the species, dullHonor the premises with the sharp eyes that found it. The CEO and director of Victoria, Lynley Crosswell, summed up in the press release: “Discoveries like Janjucetus DULARDI Remind us that our collections are not only the past – they shape the future of science. »»
Learn more: These ancient whales lived as modern lamantins 40 million years ago
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