Fossil of giant river dolphin found in Peru, whose closest living relation is in South Asia, gives clues to future extinction threats
Scientists have discovered the fossilised skull of a giant river dolphin, from a species thought to have fled the ocean and sought refuge in Peru’s Amazonian rivers 16m years ago. The extinct species would have measured up to 3.5 metres long, making it the largest river dolphin ever found., highlights the looming risks to the world’s remaining river dolphins, all of which face similar extinction threats in the next 20 to 40 years, according to the lead author of new research published intoday.
“Rivers are the escape valve … for the ancient fossil we found, and it is the same for all river dolphins living today.”Aldo Benites-Palomino and his fellow paleontologists excavating a 13m-year-old outcrop on the Napo River during the 2018 expedition, when he found the new species.Benites-Palomino discovered the fossil in Peru in 2018 when he was still an undergraduate.
“Then we realised it was not related to the Amazon river pink dolphin,” he said. “We found an animal, a giant, whose closest living relative is 10,000km away in south-east Asia.”
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