Scientists have uncovered a 16-million-year-old fossil skull in Peru, revealing secrets of an ancient river dolphin species that once roamed waters now part of the Amazon Basin. 🌊 This prehistoric giant, named Pebanista yacuruna after a mythical underwater being from local lore, is the largest river dolphin ever found in South America—stretching up to 3.5 meters long! 🦴
Paleontologist Rodolfo Salas shared that this ancient mammal is a cousin to today’s endangered South Asian river dolphins in India’s Ganges River. \"It’s like finding a long-lost relative no one knew existed,\" Salas said, comparing its size to \"a small car\" next to its modern, smaller Asian counterparts.
The discovery bridges ecosystems across continents and highlights how Amazonian waters once teemed with mega-fauna. 💡 Bonus cool factor? The dolphin’s mythical name yacuruna comes from stories of water-dwelling beings whispered about in Peruvian communities for generations. 😮
