Swiss paleontologists from the University of Zurich have discovered a new extinct species of freshwater dolphin in the Peruvian Amazon region. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Science Advances (SciAdv).
River dolphins are among the rarest living marine mammals, and many existing species are critically endangered.
During the expedition, a research team discovered the fossilized remains of the largest river dolphin ever found. The size of the animal reached 3.5 meters. The new species was named Pebanista yacuruna, in honor of the legendary water people who lived along the shores of the Amazon.
Radiocarbon dating showed that giant marine mammals were present in Amazonian waters about 16 million years ago.
“Sixteen million years ago, the Peruvian Amazon looked very different than it does today. Much of the Amazon lowland was covered by a vast system of lakes and swamps called Pebas. This landscape included aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial ecosystems that stretched into what is now Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil,” said lead study author Aldo Benitez-Palomino.
About 10 million years ago the Pebas system began to give way to modern Amazonia. This led first to the disappearance of the giant dolphins’ prey, and then to the disappearance of the giant dolphins themselves.
Paleontologists noted that ancient freshwater dolphins had highly developed echolocation organs that allowed the animals to navigate murky river waters.
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