Scientists from the University of Zurich discovered a petrified skull of a giant river dolphin. The remains of the animal were discovered during the expedition in the area of the river in the Peruvian Amazon, reports The Guardian.
The leading author of the study by Aldo Benitest-Palomino stated that the discovered animal belonged to the family “Pebanista Yacuruna”, which lived 24-16 million years ago. According to him, the body length of the animal reached 3.5 meters.
The scientist noted that he discovered fossils back in 2018, but his study was suspended due to coronavirus pandemia.
It is noted that the discovered animal belongs to the close relatives of modern Gang dolphins from the South Asian rivers, and not the Amazon dolphins who inhabit the fresh reservoirs of South America today.
Benitest-Palomino noted that this type of river dolphin left the oceans in search of new food sources in freshwater rivers.
The study was published in the journal Science Advances.