A group of scientists on Wednesday made a remarkable discovery when they found the fossilised skull of a river dolphin in Peru, which is believed to be around 16 million years old. What makes this discovery even more fascinating is that this particular species of river dolphin used to swim in the waters that now make up the Amazon River. The newly discovered dolphin belongs to a species whose closest living relative is the South Asian river dolphin, commonly found in the Ganges River in India.
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16-Million-Year-Old Dolphin Fossil In Peru Has Links To India
The extinct Pebanista yacuruna was the largest freshwater dolphin and lived 16 million years ago. Found in the rivers that now form the Amazon, its closest living relative is the South Asian river dolphin in the Ganges
OT Staff
22 March 2024
Ancient river dolphin discovered in Peruvian proto-Amazonia sheds light on evolution of its South Asian relatives
Photo: @paleoAldo/X
Ancient river dolphin discovered in Peruvian proto-Amazonia sheds light on evolution of its South Asian relatives
Photo: @paleoAldo/X
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