While whales today are the giants of the ocean, it was a different story 26 million years ago. Back then, their ancestors were much smaller – but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. As one newly described ancient whale species makes clear, appearances can be deceiving. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

That species is Janjucetus dullardi , named after Victoria (Australia) resident Ross Dullard. Back in 2019, he’d been taking a stroll along a beach near Jan Juc when he came across a fossilized partial skull containing barely worn-down teeth and ear bones.

Dullard donated the fossil to Museums Victoria, where a team of researchers began to piece together what kind of creature the skull belonged to.

See Full Page