Uncovering the Earliest Ancestors of Modern Dolphins.
TL;DR
Paleontologists have discovered a new species of toothed whale, Olympicetus thalassodon, which lived 28 million years ago and offers insights into the evolution of modern dolphins. This species, along with two other similar odontocetes found in the same area, belong to the Simocetidae family, which forms part of the early diverging groups of toothed whales. The study, however, leaves questions about their echolocation abilities.
- Swimming With Ancient Giants: Earliest Ancestors of Today's Dolphins Discovered SciTechDaily
- Paleontologist Describes New Species of Ancient Toothed Whale Sci.News
- A new species of early toothed whale helps us understand the history of modern dolphins Phys.org
- This dolphin ancestor looked like a cross between Flipper and Moby Dick Popular Science
- Newly-discovered species of toothed whale is the earliest ancestor of modern dolphins Earth.com
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