On the southeastern coast of Australia, paleontologists have unearthed something remarkable: the fossilized remains of a small, razor-toothed whale built for speed and precision hunting. It lived 26 million years ago—and it’s turning what we thought we knew about whales completely upside down.
Discovered in the coastal cliffs of Victoria, the new species has been named Janjucetus dullardi, after the beach town of Jan Juc where it was found. It’s a predator unlike any living whale—and it may force scientists to rethink how modern baleen whales evolved.
A baleen whale that hunted like a shark
Today’s baleen whales—think blue whales, fin whales, and right whales—are gentle giants that gulp down tiny prey like krill. But Janjucetus dullardi was nothing like that. It was barely the size of a large dolphin, about 3.5 meters long, yet packed with forward-facing eyes and sharp teeth. Its sleek body and likely high-speed swimming made it a fierce marine hunter.
“This creature wasn’t skimming plankton,” said paleontologist Ruairidh Duncan. “It was likely chasing and grabbing prey, more like a shark than a whale.”
Janjucetus dullardi, a new species of whale described by scientists at the Museums Victoria Research Institute. © Museums Victoria, YouTube
Its skull reveals a fascinating blend of old and new. Though it had teeth like a predator, key features in the jaw and orbital bones match those seen only in early Mysticeti (baleen whales), not toothed whales like dolphins.
Dr. Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator at Museums Victoria, noted that at first glance, the fossil didn’t seem to belong to a baleen whale. But a close look revealed a bulging bone structure in the skull’s floor—a hallmark of early Mysticeti—unlike the thin ridge seen in echolocating whales.
Cracking open the mammalodontid mystery
Mammalodontids—the family this species belongs to—were short-lived and are incredibly rare in the fossil record. Janjucetus dullardi is only the fourth mammalodontid species ever found and the first to preserve both teeth and inner ear bones, offering crucial insights into how early whales hunted and navigated their environment.
Illustration of known Oligocene mammalodontids, including the newly described Janjucetus dullardi (top), alongside Mammalodon colliveri (center) and Janjucetus hunderi (bottom). © Ruairidh Duncan
It’s also the second species in the Janjucetus genus. The first, Janjucetus hunderi, was described in 2006. But researchers say dullardi’s upper teeth show a pronounced ridge, absent in hunderi. That’s not just a variation—it’s a true evolutionary distinction.
The new species dates back 26 to 27 million years, placing it squarely in the Oligocene. It may have lived alongside J. hunderi, or perhaps the two represent what’s known as a chronospecies, where one species evolves into another over time.
When baby teeth meant everything
One thing is certain: Janjucetus dullardi had only one set of teeth. Unlike humans, who develop baby and adult teeth, these whales had enamel that mineralized early, meaning their dental structure offers direct clues to their growth.
Understanding how these early whales evolved is key to solving a bigger puzzle: Why do modern dolphins have rows of near-identical teeth, a feature almost unheard of in other mammals?
“It’s a major evolutionary shift,” said Fitzgerald. “But without the right fossils, we’re still missing pieces of the story.”
Each new find adds more clarity—but also more questions. What path led from predators like Janjucetus to today’s enormous, filter-feeding whales? The next fossil might just rewrite everything we thought we knew.
Cécile Breton
Journalist
Since childhood, books, photography, and travel have been part of my world. Fascinated by life, by the stars, by landscapes that tell stories without a single word, I quickly realized that I needed to express what I saw and felt.
Passionate about the world around me, I first pursued a degree in History at university, driven by my fascination with the stories of the past and the great civilizations that shaped our world. But over the years, another truth became clear: I didn’t want to spend my life in archives or research. I wanted to be out in the field, behind a camera or in front of a microphone, sharing what I learned.
So, I took a new path. I chose journalism, to learn how to tell stories differently—with rigor and clarity. I learned how to write, to interview, to edit, to capture both attention and emotion.
Giving meaning and sharing what matters
Since then, I’ve worked across different media: print, web, radio, television, and video. All of this has allowed me to bring to life topics that matter deeply to me: nature, animals, space, and the major environmental and human issues of our time.
Today, I continue my journey as a journalist at Futura. As part of the editorial team, I strive to share knowledge with curiosity, clarity, and passion. My guiding thread? To make visible what deserves to be seen, understood, and shared—and to keep my sense of wonder alive.
