Re-describe the oldest skull of a dolphin

Dolphins belong to the most diverse marine animal family in the ocean.The oldest known dolphin skull has been studied in the 1970s but has not been detailed, so the work continues.

In the dolphin family there are very strange species like killer whales, dolphins with a nose like bottlenose . However, their research on evolution is still vague because of the lack of samples. Good fossil.

Recently an article published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology describes the oldest known dolphin in the new name: Eodelphis kabatensis . In the 1970s, scientists used to describe the fossil of this skull but missed the important details. Therefore, this re-description adds data to help clarify history. evolution of dolphin

Photo: Mizuki Murakami / ScienceDaily

Eodelphis kabatensis skull is collected from a small branch of the Hakaido Oshirakira River, Japan, from the geologic form of Mashike. The researchers worked with this fossil record narrowed in the Miocene age (10.3 - 8.5 million years ago). So, they consider it the oldest dolphin species described for the first time. But ScienceDaily cited scientist Mizuki Murakami as saying that the ancient evolution of dolphins is still covered in mystery because the description of Eodelphis kabatensis was too sketchy at the time.

Eodelphis is an important link in the evolutionary history of dolphins. Prior to this study, there were inconsistencies between fossil samples of pigs based on the level of molecular research. At that time, it was suggested that dolphin fossils were about 6 million years old, while molecular-level research showed that dolphins began to diversify from 9-12 million years ago.

ScienceDaily magazine quoted Professor Jonathan Geisler as saying that Eodelphis kabatensis discovered in sediments from 8.5 to 13 million years ago provided valuable details when re-studying the skull.

In addition to the importance of studying the early development of dolphins, there is also the most comprehensive analysis of Delphinoidea's relationships, including teeth whales about their evolution.

The presence of the fossil model Eodelphis in the Pacific also suggests to scientists the geological history of dolphins.

However, according to researchers at the University of Otago (New Zealand), based on the fossil of a dolphin, named Papahu taitapu, lived from 19-22 million years ago, this is Dolphins of the dolphin, according to Otago Daily Times.