FOSSILS
New species of ancient whale discovered on Victoria's Surf Coast
Museum Victoria
image:
Janjucetus dullardi calf and mother. Artwork by Ruairidh Duncan. Source - Museums Victoria
view moreCredit: Artwork by Ruairidh Duncan. Source - Museums Victoria
With large eyes, razor sharp teeth and a compact body built for hunting, Janjucetus dullardi is nothing like the gentle giants we know today, but this newly discovered ancient whale is one of their earliest cousins.
Scientists at Museums Victoria’s Research Institute have described a new species of ancient whale from a 26-million-year-old fossil found near Jan Juc, on Wadawurrung Country, along Victoria’s Surf Coast.
The discovery offers remarkable insight into the early evolution of baleen whales – the filter-feeding giants that now cruise our oceans.
Janjucetus dullardi was no ocean giant – it was a fast, sharp-toothed predator about the size of a dolphin. With a short snout, large forward-facing eyes and slicing teeth, it would have been a compact, yet fearsome sight in the warm, shallow seas of ancient Victoria.
The fossil, a partial skull with ear bones and teeth, was discovered in June 2019 by local resident Ross Dullard while walking along the beach. Recognising its scientific significance, Dullard generously donated it to Museums Victoria, where researchers carefully prepared and studied the fossil. In recognition of his contribution, the new species has been named in his honour.
‘This kind of public discovery and its reporting to the museum is vital,’ said Dr Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute and senior author of the study. ‘Ross’ discovery has unlocked an entire chapter of whale evolution we’ve never seen before. It’s a reminder that world-changing fossils can be found in your own backyard.’
The research, published today in the prestigious Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, identifies Janjucetus dullardi as a juvenile ‘baby whale’, just over two metres long. Despite its small size, it belonged to a group known as mammalodontids, early whales that lived only during the Oligocene Epoch, around 30 to 23 million years ago.
‘It’s essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth,’ said Ruairidh Duncan, PhD student at the Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University, and lead author of the study. ‘Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale – small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless.’
This is the third known mammalodontid species from Victoria, and only the fourth found worldwide. It’s also the first to preserve both the teeth and inner ear structures in such detail, which are key features for understanding how early whales fed, heard, moved and behaved in the water.
Advanced microCT scanning revealed delicate structures inside the ear bones, including the cochlea, helping scientists explore how Janjucetus dullardi may have sensed its environment, an ability crucial for hunting and navigating the oceans.
‘This fossil opens a window into how ancient whales grew and changed, and how evolution shaped their bodies as they adapted to life in the sea,’ said Fitzgerald.
The fossil was recovered from the fossil-rich Jan Juc Formation, which dates to a time of global warmth and rising seas. This coastal stretch of Victoria is becoming internationally recognised as a hotspot for early whale evolution.
Understanding how ancient whales adapted to warmer oceans millions of years ago gives scientists valuable clues about how today’s marine life might respond to climate change.
‘This region was once a cradle for some of the most unusual whales in history, and we’re only just beginning to uncover their stories,’ said Fitzgerald.
This discovery marks a major milestone in the understanding of early whale evolution and highlights the critical importance of southeast Australia in that story.
‘We’re entering a new phase of discovery,’ said Fitzgerald. ‘This region is rewriting the story of how whales came to rule the oceans, with some surprising plot twists!’
The team expects more fossil discoveries from Victoria’s coastline in the coming years and is continuing to study newly uncovered fossils, as well as long-unstudied specimens from the region in the Museums Victoria State Collection.
When considering the impact of this remarkable discovery, Lynley Crosswell, CEO and Director of Museums Victoria said: ‘The findings demonstrate the power of our collections to unlock stories that change the way we understand life on Earth. Thanks to the generosity of the public and the expertise of our scientists, Museums Victoria Research Institute is making globally significant contributions to evolutionary research. Discoveries like Janjucetus dullardi remind us that our collections are not just about the past – they’re shaping the future of science.’
The partial skull and teeth of Janjucetus dullardi. Photographer: Tom Breakwell. Source: Museums Victoria
Credit
Photographer: Tom Breakwell. Source: Museums Victoria
Journal
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Method of Research
Commentary/editorial
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
An immature toothed mysticete from the Oligocene of Australia and insights into mammalodontid (Cetacea: Mysticeti) morphology, systematics, and ontogeny
Article Publication Date
13-Aug-2025
Scientists unearth ‘cute’ but fearsome
ancient whale
By AFP
Museums Victoria Researcher Ruairidh Duncan (L) and Palaeontologist Erich Fitzgerald with the partial fossil skull and teeth of Janjucetus dullardi in Melbourne - Copyright Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies/AFP/File -
Australian scientists have discovered a razor-toothed whale that prowled the seas 26 million years ago, saying Wednesday the species was “deceptively cute” but a fearsome predator.
Museums Victoria pieced together the species from an unusually well-preserved skull fossil found on Victoria’s Surf Coast in 2019.
Scientists discovered a “fast, sharp-toothed predator” that would have been about the size of a dolphin.
“It’s essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth,” said researcher Ruairidh Duncan.
“Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale — small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless.”
The skull belonged to a group of prehistoric whales known as the mammalodontids, distant smaller relatives of today’s filter-feeding whales.
It is the fourth mammalodontid species ever discovered, Museums Victoria said.
“This fossil opens a window into how ancient whales grew and changed, and how evolution shaped their bodies as they adapted to life in the sea,” said palaeontologist Erich Fitzgerald, who co-authored the study.
Victoria’s Surf Coast lies on the Jan Juc Formation — a geological feature dating to the Oligocene epoch between 23 and 30 million years ago.
A string of rare fossils have been unearthed along the scenic stretch of beach, a renowned site for the study of early whale evolution.
“This region was once a cradle for some of the most unusual whales in history, and we’re only just beginning to uncover their stories,” said Fitzgerald.
“We’re entering a new phase of discovery.
“This region is rewriting the story of how whales came to rule the oceans, with some surprising plot twists.”
The species was named Janjucetus dullardi, a nod to local Ross Dullard who stumbled across the skull while strolling the beach in 2019.
It was described in the peer-reviewed Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
Ice Hunt
Released On: Jul 01, 2003
Carved into a moving island of ice twice the size of the United States, Ice Station Grendel has been abandoned for more than seventy years. The twisted brainchild of the finest minds of the former Soviet Union, it was designed to be inaccessible and virtually invisible.
But an American undersea research vessel has inadvertently pulled too close – and something has been sighted moving inside the allegedly deserted facility, something whose survival defies every natural law. And now, as scientists, soldiers, intelligence operatives, and unsuspecting civilians are drawn into Grendel’s lethal vortex, the most extreme measures possible will be undertaken to protect its dark mysteries – because the terrible truths locked behind submerged walls of ice and steel could end human life on Earth.
ETSU researchers discover 5-million-year-old deer fossils
East Tennessee State University
Researchers at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum have discovered something surprisingly familiar among the site’s exotic ancient tapirs and rhinos: the first fossil deer, representing one of the earliest records of the deer family in North America.
The newly described fossils of Eocoileus gentryorum, detailed in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica, offers a fascinating glimpse into the deep roots of America’s most recognizable wildlife.
These 5-million-year-old fossils reveal the likely ancestor of today’s white-tailed deer – animals that have a deep history in Appalachian forests and a great importance to the people living here.
“The Gray Fossil Site continues to yield extraordinary discoveries that reshape our understanding of ancient life,” said Dr. Blaine Schubert, executive director of the Gray Fossil Site and Museum. “Our team’s collaborative research is uncovering remarkable stories about how ecosystems have evolved over millions of years. From tapirs and mastodons to these early deer, we're revealing the incredible diversity of life that once flourished in Tennessee and how some species, like deer, have shown amazing resilience through geological time.”
The research team, which was led by Head Curator Dr. Joshua Samuels and included recent graduate Olivia Williams and Assistant Collections Manager Shay Maden, collaborated to piece together the story from fragmentary remains. Those remains include part of a juvenile skull, an upper molar and various limb bones.
Previously, Eocoileus gentryorum was known only from Florida, making the Tennessee discovery significant for understanding how quickly these early deer spread across the continent.
Interestingly, these ancient deer were notably smaller than most modern species.
“These early deer are generally smaller than modern deer species in the New World,” Williams explained, highlighting how the animals have evolved over millions of years. “The only smaller species today are the Key deer of Florida and brocket deer of Central and South America.”
The discovery underscores the incredible versatility of deer as a species.
Fossil evidence from Washington and Florida shows these early deer dispersed rapidly coast-to-coast after their North American arrival, successfully adapting to diverse habitats from Pacific forests to Appalachian highlands.
“Deer have probably filled the same ecological role in Appalachian forests for nearly 5 million years,” Samuels said, “persisting and thriving through dramatic climate changes and habitat shifts that eliminated other large herbivores from the region.”
This fossil deer is the latest in a string of fascinating discoveries, including a strong-jawed salamander and a giant flying squirrel, at the site. It’s part of what makes ETSU the flagship institution of Appalachia.
“Discoveries like this connect Appalachia’s past to its present in powerful ways,” said Dr. Joe Bidwell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Our researchers are revealing not just the history of a species, but the evolutionary lineage of life in this region. It is work that exemplifies ETSU’s commitment to exploring and preserving the natural history of Appalachia.”
Journal
Palaeontologia Electronica
Method of Research
Systematic review
Subject of Research
Animals
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