{"id":67703,"date":"2025-08-14T00:12:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T00:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/67703\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T00:12:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T00:12:15","slug":"man-finds-remains-of-little-whale-with-big-eyes-and-a-mouth-full-of-slicing-teeth-in-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/67703\/","title":{"rendered":"Man finds remains of “little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of slicing teeth” in Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scientists in Australia have described a new species of ancient whale from a fossil found near Jan Juc on Victoria\u2019s Surf Coast, offering a rare glimpse into the early evolution of baleen whales \u2013 the largest animals that exist today.<\/p>\n

The remains belong to\u00a0Janjucetus dullardi, a small but formidable predator that lived around 26 million years ago. Unlike its modern filter-feeding cousins,\u00a0the prehistoric whale was about the size of a dolphin<\/a>, with a short snout, large eyes and razor-sharp teeth. It patrolled the warm, shallow seas of what is now Victoria in search of prey.<\/p>\n

The discovery, published in the\u00a0Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society<\/a>, provides new insight into how whales evolved from fearsome hunters into today\u2019s gentle filter feeders.<\/p>\n

Researchers analyse the newly described ancient whale, Janjucetus dullardi. Credit: Museums Victoria
\nDiscovering the ancient whale<\/p>\n

The fossil, a partial skull with teeth and ear bones, was found in 2019 by local resident Ross Dullard. Recognising its significance, he donated it to Museums Victoria<\/a>. In honour of his contribution, the species was named after him. <\/p>\n

\u201cRoss\u2019 discovery has unlocked an entire chapter of whale evolution we\u2019ve never seen before,” says Dr Erich Fitzgerald, Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute<\/a>. “It\u2019s a reminder that world-changing fossils can be found in your own backyard.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"JanThe fossil was found near Jan Juc beach in Victoria, Australia. Credit: John Broomfield | Museums Victoria
\n\"JanjucetusMap showing location where Janjucetus dullardi was found. Credit: Museums Victoria
\n\"RuairidhRuairidh Duncan and Dr Erich Fitzgerald Erich with the partial fossil skull of Janjucetus dullardi. Credit: Tom Breakwell | Museums Victoria
\n\"TheThe isolated upper and lower teeth of Janjucetus dullardi. Credit: Tom Breakwell | Museums Victoria<\/p>\n

What was Janjucetus dullardi?<\/p>\n

The study identifies the specimen as a juvenile, just over two metres long. It belonged to the mammalodontids, a little-known group of early whales that lived during the Oligocene Epoch, around 30 to 23 million years ago. Only four species are known worldwide, three of them from Victoria.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth,\u201d says Ruairidh Duncan, a PHD student at Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University, and lead author of the study. \u201cImagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale<\/a> \u2013 small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JanjucetusArtist’s impression of Janjucetus dullardi calf and mother. Credit: Ruairidh Duncan<\/p>\n

MicroCT scans revealed intricate inner ear structures, including the cochlea, which will help scientists understand how this predator sensed its surroundings, the way it hunted and how exactly it navigated the ocean.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The researchers say the fossil-rich Jan Juc Formation, where the specimen was found, is becoming recognised as an international hotspot for studying early whale evolution. They also highlight the importance of studying specimens in museum collections.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe findings demonstrate the power of our collections to unlock stories that change the way we understand life on Earth,\u201d says Lynley Crosswell, CEO and Director of Museums Victoria. “Discoveries like\u00a0Janjucetus dullardi\u00a0remind us that our collections are not just about the past \u2013 they\u2019re shaping the future of science.\u201d<\/p>\n

Top image: Jan Juc beach, near to where the fossil was found. Credit: Getty<\/p>\n

More amazing wildlife stories from around the world<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scientists in Australia have described a new species of ancient whale from a fossil found near Jan Juc…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67704,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[49,48,66,323],"class_list":{"0":"post-67703","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67703\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}