Peruvian palaeontologists on Wednesday unveiled the 12-million-year-old fossil of a prehistoric porpoise found near the country’s Pacific coast.
The fossil, which measures 3.5 meters (about 11.5 feet) long, was found in July by Peruvian palaeontologist Mario Urbina in the Ocucaje desert, around 350 kilometres (217 miles) south of the capital Lima.
Presenting his find at the Geological, Mining, and Metallurgical Institute in Lima, Urbina said it was a rare specimen of a porpoise from the Pisco geological formation, noted for its well-preserved marine fossils.
Another palaeontologist, Mario Gamarra, said the relic’s excellent condition would allow scientists new avenues for studying the prehistoric marine mammal: “how it moved, how it swam, what it ate and for how long it lived.”
The Ocucaje desert is a paradise for fossil hunters.
The skeletons of four-legged dwarf whales, dolphins, sharks, and other species from the Miocene period (between five million and 23 million years ago) have all been discovered in the area.
