Latest news with #RuairidhDuncan
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Discover Tiny Prehistoric Whale Species That Was Human-Sized
From the southeastern shores of Australia, a new fossil has just given us a never-before-seen species of prehistoric baleen whale. It swam the waters around the southern continent 26 million years ago, using its large eyes and razor-sharp teeth to rule its little corner of the ocean. But there's a twist in this tale: unlike the whales that reign today, their numbers including one of the largest animals the world has ever seen, the newly discovered Janjucetus dullardi was tiny – around the size of a human, or a prehistoric penguin. Actually, it's just one of a whole plethora of tiny whales that swarmed the waters around Australia, before whales started to balloon in size about 5.3 million years ago. Related: A Human-Sized Penguin Fossil Has Turned Up in New Zealand, Again "It's essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth," says paleontologist Ruairidh Duncan of the Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University in Australia. "Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale – small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless." The fossil discovered is actually a rare gem, a partial skull, including ear bones and teeth. This allowed Duncan and his colleagues to confidently place the species as a mammalodontid – an extinct genus of ancient baleen whale. J. dullardi is only the fourth mammalodontid to have been discovered worldwide, and the third discovered in the Jan Juc fossil formation in Victoria, Australia. In addition, its remains are the first to preserve both the teeth and inner ear structure in detail. The researchers believe that the fossilized remains were from a juvenile, and indicate a whale that would have been around 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length. As a juvenile, it may have grown longer, but not to current whale scales; mammalodontids are thought to have a maximum length of 4 meters. Those precious ear bones, the researchers say, give crucial insight into how J. dullardi sensed and navigated its environment. Whales evolved dramatically in the ensuing megayears since J. dullardi was alive. For example, although mammalodontids are technically classified as a baleen whale, they had teeth rather than the baleen structures modern whales used for filter feeding. This indicates that the group is an offshoot of the main lineage that produced today's baleen whales. Structures such as the inner ear and teeth of J. dullardi can help scientists identify other differences and changes. In turn, that might help reveal why the mammalodontids died out, while other whales went on to thrive. "This fossil opens a window into how ancient whales grew and changed, and how evolution shaped their bodies as they adapted to life in the sea," says paleontologist Erich Fitzgerald of the Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University. "This region was once a cradle for some of the most unusual whales in history, and we're only just beginning to uncover their stories." The find has been published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Related News Scientists Have Just Created The Most Synthetic Life Form Ever Ants Are 'Superefficient' at Teamwork, Scientists Discover Billions of Sea Stars Are Wasting Away, And We Finally Know Why Solve the daily Crossword
Observer
3 days ago
- Science
- Observer
Scientists unearth 'cute' but fearsome ancient whale
Australian scientists have discovered a razor-toothed whale that prowled the seas 26 million years ago, saying Wednesday the species was "deceptively cute" but a fearsome predator. Museums Victoria pieced together the species from an unusually well-preserved skull fossil found on Victoria's Surf Coast in 2019. Scientists discovered a "fast, sharp-toothed predator" that would have been about the size of a dolphin. "It's essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth," said researcher Ruairidh Duncan. "Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale -- small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless." The skull belonged to a group of prehistoric whales known as the mammalodontids, distant smaller relatives of today's filter-feeding whales. It is the fourth mammalodontid species ever discovered, Museums Victoria said. "This fossil opens a window into how ancient whales grew and changed, and how evolution shaped their bodies as they adapted to life in the sea," said palaeontologist Erich Fitzgerald, who co-authored the study. Victoria's Surf Coast lies on the Jan Juc Formation -- a geological feature dating to the Oligocene epoch between 23 and 30 million years ago. A string of rare fossils have been unearthed along the scenic stretch of beach, a renowned site for the study of early whale evolution. "This region was once a cradle for some of the most unusual whales in history, and we're only just beginning to uncover their stories," said Fitzgerald. "We're entering a new phase of discovery. "This region is rewriting the story of how whales came to rule the oceans, with some surprising plot twists." The species was named Janjucetus dullardi, a nod to local Ross Dullard who stumbled across the skull while strolling the beach in 2019. It was described in the peer-reviewed Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. —AFP
Sunday World
6 days ago
- Science
- Sunday World
Scientists discover ‘deceptively cute' ancient whale
"It might have looked for all the world like some weird kind of mash-up between a whale, a seal and a Pokemon but they were very much their own thing' In this illustration provided by Ruairidh Duncan a Janjucetus dullardi is depicted chasing a fish (Ruairidh Duncan via AP) A chance discovery of a 25 million-year-old fossil on an Australian beach has allowed palaeontologists to identify a rare, entirely new species that could unlock mysteries of whale evolution. Researchers this week officially named Janjucetus dullardi, a cartoonish creature with bulging eyes the size of tennis balls, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Unlike today's whales, the juvenile specimen was small enough to fit in a single bed. Boasting fiendish teeth and a shark-like snout, however, this oddball of the ocean was nasty, mean and built to hunt. "It was, let's say, deceptively cute," said Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute, and one of the paper's authors. The rare discovery of the partial skull, including ear bones and teeth, was made in 2019 on a fossil-rich stretch of coast along Australia's Victoria state. Jan Juc Beach, a cradle for some of the weirdest whales in history, is becoming a hotspot for understanding early whale evolution, Mr Fitzgerald said. Few family trees seem stranger than that of Janjucetus dullardi, only the fourth species ever identified from a group known as mammalodontids, early whales that lived only during the Oligocene Epoch, about 34 to 23 million years ago. That marked the point about halfway through the known history of whales. The tiny predators, thought to have grown to three metres (10ft) in length, were an early branch on the line that led to today's great baleen whales, such as humpbacks, blues and minkes. But the toothy ancestors with powerful jaws would have looked radically different to any modern species. "They may have had tiny little nubbins of legs just projecting as stumps from the wall of the body," said Mr Fitzgerald. That mystery will remain tantalisingly unsolved unless a specimen is uncovered with more of its skeleton intact, which would be something of a miracle. Even the partial skull that allowed the initial identification this week was an astonishing discovery. Janjucetus dullardi was named by researchers after an amateur fossil hunter who does not mind its looks in the slightest. "It's literally been the greatest 24 hours of my life," said Ross Dullard, who discovered the skull while fossil hunting at Jan Juc Beach. After Wednesday's confirmation of the new species, the school principal walked like a rock star on to campus with "high fives coming left, right and centre", he said. His friends and family are probably just relieved it is over. "That's all they've heard from me for about the last six years," he said. Mr Dullard was on a regular low-tide hunt at Jan Juc the day he spotted something black protruding from a cliff. Poking it dislodged a tooth. He knew enough to recognise it was unlikely to belong to a dog or a seal. "I thought, geez, we've got something special here," he said. Mr Dullard sent photos to Museums Victoria, where Mr Fitzgerald saw them and immediately suspected a new species. Confirming the find was another matter. This was the first mammalodontid to be identified in Australia since 2006 and only the third on record in the country. Fossils of sufficient quality, with enough of the right details preserved to confirm uniqueness, are not common. "Cetaceans represent a fairly miniscule population of all life," Mr Fitzgerald said. In this illustration provided by Ruairidh Duncan a Janjucetus dullardi is depicted chasing a fish (Ruairidh Duncan via AP) News in 90 Seconds - August 15th Millions of years of erosion, scavengers and ocean currents take their toll on whale skeletons too. "It's only the chosen few, the vast minority of all whales that have ever lived and died in the oceans over millions of years, that actually get preserved as fossils," he added. Finds such as Janjucetus dullardi can unlock insights into how prehistoric whales ate, moved, behaved - and evolved. Researchers said the discoveries also helped to understand how ancient cetacean species adapted to warmer oceans, as they study how today's marine life might respond to climate change. Meanwhile, Mr Dullard planned to host a fossil party this weekend, featuring cetacean-themed games and whale-shaped treats in jello, to celebrate his find finally being confirmed. "That's taken my concentration for six years," he said. "I've had sleepless nights. I've dreamt about this whale."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
New species of Prehistoric whale discovered off Australia
Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Prehistoric fossils have led to the discovery of an ancient whale species off the coast of Australia. Scientists said the species, Janjucetus dullardi, is one of the earliest cousins of modern whales but was not an ocean giant, researchers from Museums Victoria Research Institute said. The whale has been described as a fast, sharp-toothed predator about the size of a dolphin with a short snout, large forward-facing eyes and slicing teeth, according to a study. "It's essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth. Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale, small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless," said Ruairidh Duncan, lead author of the study. The ancient whale was named after a Victoria resident Ross Dullard found the fossil, a partial skull with ear bones and teeth, found in 2019 as he walked along the beach. "This kind of public discovery and its reporting to the museum is vital," said Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute and senior author of the study. "Ross' discovery has unlocked an entire chapter of whale evolution we've never seen before. It's a reminder that world-changing fossils can be found in your own backyard." The fossil fragments found belonged to a juvenile specimen that belonged to a group of whales known as mammalodontis, which lived 30 to 23 million years ago. These fragments mark the third known species from Victoria, and the fourth found worldwide. It was also the first of its kind to preserve both the teeth and inner ear structures. "The findings demonstrate the power of our collections to unlock stories that change the way we understand life on Earth. Thanks to the generosity of the public and the expertise of our scientists," CEO and Director of Museums Victoria said. "Museums Victoria Research Institute is making globally significant contributions to evolutionary research. Discoveries like Janjucetus dullardi remind us that our collections are not just about the past they're shaping the future of science."
Toronto Sun
6 days ago
- Science
- Toronto Sun
Scientists discover an ancient whale with a Pokemon face and a predator bite
Published Aug 15, 2025 • 3 minute read In this illustration provided by Ruairidh Duncan a Janjucetus dullardi is depicted chasing a fish. Photo by Ruairidh Duncan / AP WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Long before whales were majestic, gentle giants, some of their prehistoric ancestors were tiny, weird and feral. A chance discovery of a 25 million-year-old fossil on an Australian beach has allowed paleontologists to identify a rare, entirely new species that could unlock mysteries of whale evolution. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Researchers this week officially named Janjucetus dullardi, a cartoonish creature with bulging eyes the size of tennis balls, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Unlike today's whales, the juvenile specimen was small enough to fit in a single bed. Boasting fiendish teeth and a shark-like snout, however, this oddball of the ocean was nasty, mean and built to hunt. 'It was, let's say, deceptively cute,' said Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute, and one of the paper's authors. 'It might have looked for all the world like some weird kind of mash-up between a whale, a seal and a Pokemon but they were very much their own thing.' Extinct species was an odd branch on the whale family tree The rare discovery of the partial skull, including ear bones and teeth, was made in 2019 on a fossil-rich stretch of coast along Australia's Victoria state. Jan Juc Beach, a cradle for some of the weirdest whales in history, is becoming a hotspot for understanding early whale evolution, Fitzgerald said. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Few family trees seem stranger than that of Janjucetus dullardi, only the fourth species ever identified from a group known as mammalodontids, early whales that lived only during the Oligocene Epoch, about 34 to 23 million years ago. That marked the point about halfway through the known history of whales. The tiny predators, thought to have grown to 3 meters (10 feet) in length, were an early branch on the line that led to today's great baleen whales, such as humpbacks, blues and minkes. But the toothy ancestors with powerful jaws would have looked radically different to any modern species. 'They may have had tiny little nubbins of legs just projecting as stumps from the wall of the body,' said Fitzgerald. That mystery will remain tantalizingly unsolved unless a specimen is uncovered with more of its skeleton intact, which would be something of a miracle. Even the partial skull that allowed the initial identification this week was an astonishing discovery. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In this photo provided by Museums Victoria Ruairidh Duncan examines a tooth and partial fossil skull, at left, in the palaeontology lab at Melbourne Museum in Melbourne, Australia, Aug. 5, 2025. Photo by Tom Breakwell / AP Janjucetus dullardi was named by researchers after an amateur fossil hunter who doesn't mind its looks in the slightest. 'It's literally been the greatest 24 hours of my life,' said Ross Dullard, who discovered the skull while fossil hunting at Jan Juc Beach. After Wednesday's confirmation of the new species, the school principal walked like a rock star onto campus with 'high fives coming left, right and center,' he said. His friends and family are probably just relieved it's over. 'That's all they've heard from me for about the last six years,' he said. Dullard was on a regular low-tide hunt at Jan Juc the day he spotted something black protruding from a cliff. Poking it dislodged a tooth. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He knew enough to recognize it was unlikely to belong to a dog or a seal. 'I thought, geez, we've got something special here,' he said. Dullard sent photos to Museums Victoria, where Fitzgerald saw them and immediately suspected a new species. Ancient whale finds are rare but significant Confirming the find was another matter. This was the first mammalodontid to be identified in Australia since 2006 and only the third on record in the country. Fossils of sufficient quality, with enough of the right details preserved to confirm uniqueness, aren't common. 'Cetaceans represent a fairly miniscule population of all life,' Fitzgerald said. Millions of years of erosion, scavengers and ocean currents take their toll on whale skeletons too. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's only the chosen few, the vast minority of all whales that have ever lived and died in the oceans over millions of years, that actually get preserved as fossils,' he added. Finds such as Janjucetus dullardi can unlock insights into how prehistoric whales ate, moved, behaved — and evolved. Researchers said the discoveries also helped to understand how ancient cetacean species adapted to warmer oceans, as they study how today's marine life might respond to climate change. Meanwhile, Dullard planned to host a fossil party this weekend, featuring cetacean-themed games and whale-shaped treats in jello, to celebrate his nightmare Muppet find, finally confirmed. 'That's taken my concentration for six years,' he said. 'I've had sleepless nights. I've dreamt about this whale.' Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls World Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
