Scientists have unveiled a remarkable discovery: a 16-million-year-old fossil skull of a river dolphin unearthed in Peru. This ancient creature, named Pebanista yacuruna after a mythological Peruvian water spirit, once swam in the waters that are now part of the vast Amazon basin.
Paleontologist Rodolfo Salas, who led the research team, revealed that this dolphin was the largest known to have inhabited South America’s waters, measuring between 3 and 3.5 meters in length. What’s particularly fascinating is that its closest living relative is the South Asian river dolphin found in India’s Ganges River.
“This dolphin is related to the dolphin of the Ganges River in India,” Salas explained. “However, the one we found in Peru is much larger than its living relatives in Asia.”
The discovery sheds light on the ancient connections between the aquatic environments of South America and South Asia. It suggests that these regions, now separated by vast distances, once shared similar species due to continental drift or ancient migratory routes.
Understanding Pebanista yacuruna provides valuable insights into the evolution of river dolphins and how they adapted to their environments over millions of years. As modern river dolphins face numerous threats and are considered endangered, studying their ancient relatives could inform conservation efforts.
This finding not only enriches our knowledge of prehistoric marine life but also highlights the importance of paleontological research in uncovering the Earth’s hidden past. It opens new avenues for scientists to explore how ancient species dispersed across continents and evolved into the animals we know today.
As researchers continue to analyze the fossil, they hope to uncover more about the dolphin’s lifestyle, diet, and the ecological conditions of its time. Such discoveries remind us of our planet’s dynamic history and the interconnectedness of life across different regions.
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Fossil skull of 16-million-year-old river dolphin found in Peru
cgtn.com
