Aureia lelehua It has unique teeth and is thought to have formed a cage around small fish. These teeth, weak apex, flexible neck, and smallest size among its relatives allow it to be an effective hunter in shallow water, according to a team of paleontologists from the University of Otago.
skull of Aureia lelehua; Notice the spread of the teeth and the unevenness of the face. Image credit: Meakin other., doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2314505.
The newly described dolphin species lived in the Oligocene oceans about 22 million years ago.
dubbing Aureia lelehua this species was approximately 2 meters (6.6 ft) long and was very likely echolocated.
It has a weak skull, flexible neck, and unique lateral tooth orientation, suggesting that it scanned shallow waters and captured small prey by placing them in cages in its teeth.
University of Otago palaeontologist Shane Meakin said: “This dolphin had widely spread teeth, which are thought to have hugged fish like a wide cage. Other ancient dolphins in the region typically “This is unusual because it used its teeth to attack its prey.”
“When you look at a dolphin's teeth, it's natural to think that the large teeth at the front and center of the mouth are its main tools for catching prey and stabbing or cutting down unfortunate fish.”
“This looked like how closely related dolphins hunt; Aureia lelehua They seem to be taking a completely different approach, using these teeth in a more delicate way. “
fossil of Aureia lelehua The skull, teeth, ear bones, lower jaw, vertebrae and ribs were discovered in a quarry in New Zealand's Hakataramea Valley.
“Between 22 million and 27 million years ago, New Zealand sank and went from 1% above sea level to completely submerged, during which time marine life flourished,” the paleontologists said.
“The contemporary deposits are representative of many of the cetacean species present in the collections of the University of Otago Museum of Geology.”
“One of them is Aureia lelehua It was taken from a limestone quarry in South Canterbury's Hataramea Valley, known as 'Howe's Quarry'. ”
discovery of Aureia lelehua This indicates that there were many dolphin fossils in one small area, and their shapes varied widely.
“This shows that seemingly similar animals can coexist if they explore different ecological niches,” Meakin said.
“We also show that early prehistoric dolphins used different foraging strategies to explore different niches, which is why fossil localities such as the Hataramea Valley yielded so many species. Extinct dolphins have been recovered.
of findings On February 21, 2024, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
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Shane Meakin other. Aureia lelehuaa new platanistoid dolphin born in the Oligocene of New Zealand with a unique feeding method. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, published online on February 21, 2024. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2314505
Source: www.sci.news
