- An ancient whale species, Janjucetus dullardi, has been discovered from fossils unearthed along Australia’s Surf Coast.
- Named after local resident Ross Dullard, who found the fossil fragments in 2019, the species roamed the seas of what is now Victoria approximately 26 million years ago.
- Unlike modern filter-feeding whales, Janjucetus dullardi was a fast, sharp-toothed predator, about the size of a dolphin, with large eyes and a compact body.
- The discovery, based on a partial skull and ear bone, offers significant insights into the early evolution of marine mammals, particularly baleen whales.
- This find is the third mammalodontid species from Victoria and the first to preserve detailed teeth and inner ear structures.
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