Peruvian biologists have unveiled a 12-million-year-old fossil of a dolphin-like fish, discovered near the Pacific coast.
The fossil belongs to a porpoise species bearing a strong resemblance to modern-day dolphins. It was found in July by Mario Urbina, a Peruvian biologist, in the Ocucaje Desert, approximately 350 kilometres south of the capital, Lima.
Measuring 11.5 feet in length, the porpoise fossil was presented yesterday at the Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute in Lima. Urbina described the find as a rare specimen.
Another biologist, Mario Gamarra, explained that the discovery could open new avenues for studying ancient marine life.
The Ocucaje Desert is renowned as a fossil-rich region. Remains of four-legged whales, dolphins, sharks, and other Miocene-era creatures have previously been unearthed there.
