🕵️♂️ Unearthing the secrets of the past just got a whole lot cooler! Scientists in Peru have discovered a 16-million-year-old fossil skull of a river dolphin that once swam in waters that are now the Amazon River. 🌊🐬
The ancient dolphin, named Pebanista yacuruna—after the mythical Peruvian water spirit Yacuruna—measured a whopping 3 to 3.5 meters long. That's like having a swim with a bus-sized dolphin! 🚍🐬
Paleontologist Rodolfo Salas shared that this is the largest dolphin known to have inhabited South American waters. But here's the real plot twist: 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 said. \"But the one found in Peru is much bigger than its living relatives in Asia.\" 🐬➡️🐘
This discovery not only bridges continents but also gives us a glimpse into a time when our planet was a very different place. 🌍✨ Who knows what other secrets are buried beneath our feet? Time to grab those archaeology tools! 🧭⛏️
Reference(s):
Fossil skull of 16-million-year-old river dolphin found in Peru
cgtn.com
