Scientists Have Discovered A New Species Of Ancient Dolphin In Ecuador
Scientists Have Discovered A New Species Of Ancient Dolphin In Ecuador
A well-preserved juvenile skull recently discovered in Ecuador belongs to a new species of ancient dolphin, which researchers are calling Urkudelphis chawpipacha. The fossil was discovered near Montañita in Santa Elena Province, a tropical region of Ecuador, and is believed to be between 24 to 26 million years old. The research has been published in the open-access journal PLOS One.
This is one of a few examples of ancient dolphin remains to be found in the tropics (the majority have been unearthed in more temperate regions like South Carolina, Oregon, Hokkaido, and New Zealand) and the very first to be found in Ecuador.
Researchers have dated the skull to the Oligocene Epoch, an era that lasted between 33.9 and 22 million years ago. During this period, the Earth's climate cooled, allowing for greater diversity of flora and fauna.
Many of the animals we see today started appearing around this time. Think early horses, camels, canids, eagles, and hawks. In the ocean, marine creatures able to withstand cooler temperatures began to move northwards and southwards, and away from the equator where more animals were able to survive.
More:
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/scientists-have-discovered-a-new-species-of-ancient-dolphin-in-ecuador/