Paleontologists discover massive, ancient dolphin in the Amazon
ZURICH, Switzerland (WJW) – Paleontologists announced the discovery of the world’s largest known river dolphin, that experts say lived millions of years ago.
Researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland found the massive dolphin skull while leading an expedition in the Peruvian Amazon in 2018. Scientists just recently published their findings.
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The new freshwater species, named Pebanista yacuruna, would have been about 10 to 11 feet long and lived approximately 16 million years ago.
Scientists say while they expected it to be a distant ancestor of Amazon River dolphins, the ancient marine creature is actually more closely related to river dolphins in South Asia.
“Sixteen million years ago, the Peruvian Amazonia looked very different from what it is today,” said lead author Aldo Benites-Palomino, from the Department of Paleontology at UZH, in a press release. “Much of the Amazonian plain was covered by a large system of lakes and swamps called Pebas.”
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Scientists say the giant dolphin went extinct as habitats started shifting in the Amazon about 10 million years ago.
The fossil is now being held in the Museum of Natural History in Lima, Peru.
Learn more about the discovery at University of Zurich’s website.
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