MADRID, 13 (EUROPA PRESS)
A new species of ancient whale has been described from a 26-million-year-old fossil found off the coast of Victoria, southeastern Australia.
With large eyes, razor-sharp teeth, and a compact body designed for hunting, Janjucetus dullardi looks nothing like the gentle giants we know today, but this newly discovered ancient whale is one of its older cousins.
The discovery offers remarkable insight into the early evolution of baleen whales, the giant filter-feeders that now roam our oceans, according to the authors of the discovery, scientists from Museums Victoria.
Janjucetus dullardi wasn't an oceanic giant; it was a swift, sharp-toothed predator, about the size of a dolphin. With a short snout, large front-facing eyes, and sharp teeth, it would have been a compact but fearsome animal in the warm, shallow seas of ancient Victoria.
The fossil, a partial skull with auditory bones and teeth, was discovered in June 2019 by local resident Ross Dullard while strolling on the beach. Recognizing its scientific importance, Dullard generously donated it to Museums Victoria, where researchers carefully prepared and studied it. In recognition of his contribution, the new species was named in his honor.
BABY OVER TWO METERS
The research, published August 12 in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, identifies Janjucetus dullardi as a juvenile baby whale, just over two meters long. Despite its small size, it belonged to the group known as mammalodontids, primitive whales that lived only during the Oligocene, between 30 and 23 million years ago.
“It’s essentially a small whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, jagged teeth,” said Ruairidh Duncan, a PhD student at the Museums Victoria and Monash University Research Institute and lead author of the study, in a statement. “Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale: small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless.”
Advanced microcomputed tomography revealed delicate structures within the ear bones, including the cochlea, helping scientists explore how Janjucetus dullardi may have sensed its surroundings—a crucial ability for hunting and ocean navigation. This fossil opens a window into how ancient whales grew and changed, and how evolution shaped their bodies as they adapted to marine life, according to the authors.
