16.5 million year old fossil provides clues to the evolution of porpoises

2024-03-21 13:57:47

Botos, freshwater dolphins known for their rarity and pink skin, inhabit the Amazon and South Asia. The discovery of a 16.5 million-year-old fossil of this species in Peru has provided new information about the origins of these mammals. The fossil, named The pebanista snorteddates back to the Miocene and helps to understand how dolphins adapted to the freshwater environment.

For those in a hurry:

• The discovery of the fossil The pebanista snorted in Peru, dating back to 16.5 million years ago, offers valuable insights into the evolution and adaptation of botos, freshwater dolphins, to the freshwater environment;
• O The pebanista snortedthe largest dolphin ever known at around three meters in length, had physical characteristics such as a long snout and small eyes, suggesting a strong dependence on echolocation due to possible near-blindness;
• Phylogenetic studies indicate that the P. watermelon it is most closely related to the dolphins of the Ganges River in Asia. This suggests an ancient migration of porpoises to ecosystems in both South America and South Asia;
• The research on the P. watermelon helps understand the diversity and antiquity of river dolphins. The study shows that aquatic environments such as food-rich swamps and rivers in the ancient Amazon favored the development of larger species of dolphins.

O The pebanista snorted, found in the Napo River, in Loreto, is considered the largest dolphin ever known, measuring around three meters in length. Its robust physique, long snout and tiny eyes suggest it was nearly blind, relying on echolocation to navigate the murky waters of the Amazon.

(Image: Aldo Benites-Palomino)

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The research on the The pebanista snorted was published in the magazine Science Advances. And it contributes significantly to the understanding of the evolutionary history and adaptation of freshwater dolphins on different continents.

New clues about the evolution of porpoises

Studies indicate that the P. watermelon it was well adapted to life in freshwater, with features such as a long snout, large teeth, and a forehead developed for echolocation. This ancient dolphin represents a significant step in the adaptation of these mammals to river environments.

Current Amazonian porpoises descend from the Iniidae lineage, while those from South Asia, such as the Ganges River freshwater dolphin, belong to the Platanistidae. The evolution of Platanistidae dolphins is little known due to the scarcity of fossils, but the discovery of the P. watermelon offers new clues about its evolutionary history.

Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the P. watermelon it is most closely related to the Ganges River dolphins of South Asia. This implies that platanistids inhabited freshwater ecosystems in South Africa and South America before the Iniidae, ancestors of the Amazonian porpoises.

(Image: Jaime Bran and Aldo Benites-Palomino)

The study authors propose that platanistids, including species such as P. watermelon, migrated to freshwater ecosystems in both South Asia and South America before the evolution of “modern” Amazonian porpoises. This discovery highlights the antiquity and diversity of river dolphins in freshwater ecosystems.

During the time of P. watermelonit is believed that the Amazon was made up of large areas of swamps and food-rich aquatic environments, which favored the development of larger species, such as this ancient dolphin.