New evidence suggests tiny prehistoric whales only lived in one place

• 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.

IN FULL

Prehistoric whale with razor-sharp teeth and tennis ball-sized eyes discovered off Australia