Tokyo — Japanese researchers have determined that The fossils of a baiji dolphin or Chinese river dolphin (lipotes vexillifer) found in Japan are the oldest found so far, more than 11 million years oldand are preparing for exhibition in a local museum starting on the 18th.
Experts at the Natural History Museum of Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, determined the age of the remains.thanks to the adhered volcanic ash”, which showed that the fossils specifically have between 11.25 and 11.29 million yearsthe assistant curator, Toshiyuki Kimura, indicated in statements to EFE.
The remains, a fossilized head, They were found 25 years ago in an 11 million year old stratum along the Usui Riverin the city of Annaka of the aforementioned prefecture.
The oldest specimen of this species of dolphin cataloged so far, 10 million years old, had been found in the United States..
The Japanese museum says that the discovery has immense value to know the origin and evolution of this family of dolphins.
The museum center will open a special exhibition on the 18thuntil the end of next June, where the fossils will be exhibited.
In addition to the discovery about the dolphin, The same museum announced this Thursday that a whale fossil that it has been permanently exhibiting since April is a new species of the 'balaenoptera physalus' family, fin whales or fin whales..