Illustration courtesy Remie Bakker, Manimal Works
Published December 13, 2010
A new species of ancient balloon-headed dolphin has been identified from a fossil pulled up by fishers in the North Sea (map), a new study says.
The 2.5-million-year-old species was named Hoekman's blunt-snouted dolphin after Albert Hoekman, the Dutch fisher who trawled up a bone from the creature's snout in 2008.
Measuring up to 20 feet (6 meters) long, the newfound dolphin had an extremely short and spoon-shaped snout that supported a large, high, and protruding forehead.
(Related: "New, 'Chubbier' River Dolphin Species Found in Bolivia.")
Bulbous Head Helped Dolphin Navigate?
In looks and size, the new species was similar to modern pilot whales—although its head was much more bulbous, said study author Klaas Post, an honorary curator at the Natural History Museum Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
(See "Pilot Whales Are 'Cheetahs of the Sea,' Study Finds.")
Post and colleague Erwin Kompanje suspect that Hoekman's blunt-snouted dolphin may have been a direct ancestor or at least a very close relative of today's pilot whales. (See whale pictures.)
As with today's pilot whales, the team also suspects that the new dolphin used its large forehead for echolocation, a biological form of sonar that allows dolphins and some whales to navigate in murky conditions.
"Pilot whales seem to have developed this tool in some special way," Post said via email, "and [Hoekman's blunt-snouted dolphins] seem to have been the forerunner."
The new dolphin species is described in the 2010 issue of the yearly Dutch journal Deinsea. The fossil snout is currently on display at the Natural History Museum Rotterdam.
Latest News
Trending News
-
Rare Video of Giant Oarfish
Scientists recently captured a rare video of an oarfish, but what's the real significance of the underwater footage?
-
5 Sky Events This Week
Skywatchers can witness the biggest supermoon of 2013 and several other lunar events this week.
-
Environmental Murder Mystery
Police are still looking for environmentalist Jairo Mora Sandoval's murderers, while the episode has more Costa Ricans talking about the links between poaching and drug trafficking.
Advertisement
Celebrating 125 Years
-
Explorer Moment: Ray of Hope
Biologist Andrea Marshall leads her team in discovering new and conserving known manta ray species.
-
Sylvia Earle on Women in Science
Sylvia Earle reflects on her scientific career and on gender obstacles she faced along the way.
ScienceBlogs Picks
Connect With Nat Geo
Got Something to Share?
Special Ad Section
Great Energy Challenge Blog
- Study Says: Hey, You, Get Onto the Cloud (It Saves Energy)
- Who Will Swelter This Summer? The Pressures on the Nation’s Power Grid
- Tar Sands Tour: Boomtown, Scarecrows, and Spin; “We Have Met the Enemy, and He is Us”
- Climate Change: China, U.S. Bring Toy Fire Truck to Seven-Alarm Fire
- Student Infographic Contest Paints Bright Picture of Youth Concern on Energy and Climate
