Tiny whale ancestor reshapes whale history

A 25 million year old fossil found on an Australian beach reveals Janjucetus dullardi, a tiny early whale that broadens our view of how whales began.

Tiny whale ancestor rewrites evolution story

Scientists in Australia and New Zealand describe a partial skull found on Jan Juc Beach in Victoria as a new species named Janjucetus dullardi. The specimen, dating to the Oligocene period, is one of the few mammalodontids identified in the region and adds a new piece to the whale family tree. The fossil shows sharp teeth and a snout that hints at a predatory past, well before modern baleen and toothed whales settled into recognizable lines of evolution. The discovery was credited to an amateur fossil hunter who uncovered the skull in 2019, underscoring how local beaches can yield important clues about deep time. While the remains are not complete, the skull and ear bones provide essential details that help place this animal in the early phase of whale evolution and its move toward today’s diverse cetaceans.

The find reminds us that whale origins were a diversified experiment rather than a straight path to modern life. Janjucetus dullardi sits in a rare middle ground with features that point to both hunting instincts and a distant kinship to later whales. It highlights how much remains uncertain when a single fossil can unlock new questions about movement, diet, and habitat. The event also showcases the value of local fossil sites and citizen science, where everyday observers can contribute to major shifts in knowledge. In the wider climate context, studying ancient cetaceans helps researchers imagine how ocean life adapted to warmer waters and what that might mean for today’s species facing climate change.

Highlights

The past often meets the present in the quiet corners of the coast and invites us to keep digging.