Melbourne, August 14, 2025 – Australian scientists have uncovered a 26-million-year-old whale species that combines an adorable appearance with a deadly set of razor-sharp teeth. The discovery, made along Victoria’s Surf Coast, is offering new insights into the evolution of whales from sharp-toothed hunters to the filter-feeding giants we know today.
The remarkably well-preserved skull was found in 2019 in the Jan Juc Formation, a world-renowned fossil hotspot dating back to the Oligocene epoch (23–30 million years ago). The new species, named Janjucetus dullardi in honor of fossil finder Ross Dullard, is only the fourth mammalodontid whale species ever recorded.
Paleontologists describe Janjucetus dullardi as a small whale with big eyes and a mouth full of slicing teeth, making it a fast and efficient predator. Unlike today’s baleen whales that filter-feed, mammalodontids were early whale ancestors equipped for hunting fish and squid with powerful jaws.
“It’s like a shark-like version of modern whales — deceptively cute but a skilled hunter,” said researcher Ruairidh Duncan of Museums Victoria.
According to paleontologist Erich Fitzgerald, the fossil provides vital evidence of how whales transitioned from sharp-toothed predators to the baleen-equipped filter feeders we see today. The find underscores the evolutionary diversity that once existed in marine mammals during the Oligocene.
The Surf Coast of Victoria has emerged as a major location for prehistoric whale discoveries, with its ancient marine sediments preserving rare and unusual species. Scientists believe the region played a crucial role in the evolution of unique whale lineages that shaped today’s oceans.
Q: How old is the Janjucetus dullardi fossil?
A: The fossil dates back around 26 million years to the Oligocene epoch.
Q: What makes Janjucetus dullardi different from modern whales?
A: It had razor-sharp teeth for hunting, unlike today’s baleen whales that filter feed.
Q: Where was the fossil found?
A: On Victoria’s Surf Coast, in the Jan Juc Formation.
Q: How many mammalodontid whale species are known?
A: Only four species have been recorded, including this latest discovery.
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