Scientists Identify “Cartoonish” Ancient Whale in Australia
Long before whales grew into the ocean’s gentle giants, some of their ancestors were small, sharp-toothed predators with a flair for the bizarre. Paleontologists have now confirmed one of the strangest yet, a 25-million-year-old fossil found on an Australian beach that represents a previously unknown species.
The whale, named Janjucetus dullardi, had eyes the size of tennis balls and a snout packed with jagged teeth. About ten feet long, it would have been almost small enough to fit across a large bed but fierce enough to terrify anything in its path.
According to the Associated Press, Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute, described the whale by stating, “It was, let’s say, deceptively cute.” Elaborating further that “It might have looked like some mash-up of a whale, a seal, and a Pokémon—but it was its own thing.”
A Fossil Jackpot on Victoria’s Coast
The partial skull was discovered in 2019 at Jan Juc Beach in Victoria, a stretch of coastline that has become a global hotspot for unusual whale fossils. The site has produced some of the most puzzling members of the whale family tree, and J. dullardi is no exception.
The new species is only the fourth known member of the mammalodontids, a short-lived group of early whales that lived during the Oligocene Epoch about 34 to 23 million years ago. Unlike today’s baleen whales, mammalodontids were predators with powerful jaws, a reminder that whales’ evolutionary story included some fierce predators.
“They may even have had tiny leg stumps, a throwback to their land-dwelling past,” Fitzgerald said.
The fossil was found by Ross Dullard, a school principal and longtime amateur fossil hunter. On a low tide walk, he noticed something dark protruding from a cliff. When he nudged it, a tooth tumbled out.
“I thought, geez, we’ve got something special here,” Dullard told the Associated Press. For six years, he hoped his hunch was correct. In mid-August 2025, researchers confirmed it. “It’s literally been the greatest 24 hours of my life,” he said. Returning to school the next day, he was met with cheers and high-fives from students.
Why It Matters
Confirming J. dullardi wasn’t easy. Whale fossils are rare, often destroyed before they can be preserved. “It’s only the chosen few, the vast minority of all whales that have ever lived and died, that actually get preserved as fossils,” Fitzgerald said.
But when they do surface, the payoff is enormous. Finds like this one reveal how early whales hunted, swam, and adapted to changing oceans. These are insights that may also help scientists understand how today’s marine mammals will face climate change.
Another notable ancient whale discovery was of Perucetus colossus from the Ica Desert of Peru, which was formally described in 2023. The initial weight estimates ranged between 85 and 340 metric tons, making it a challenger of the blue whale for the most massive animal to have ever lived. It is thought P. colossus lived around 39 million years ago, making this beefy ancient whale almost a contemporary of J. dullardi. These species add to the growing body of evidence that points to the Oligocene Epoch as a period of significant whale diversification and a key chapter in the epic saga of these charismatic creatures.
Life reconstruction of Perucetus colossus, scaled to a human.png)
Connor Ashbridge, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsDullard, meanwhile, has his own way of celebrating: a fossil party with whale-shaped Jello and cetacean-themed games. “I’ve had sleepless nights. I’ve dreamt about this whale,” he said. “Now everyone finally gets to meet my nightmare Muppet.”
Are Whales Really “Gentle Giants”?
Whales often earn the nickname “gentle giants” because of their immense size and generally calm behavior towards humans. Blue whales, considered the largest animal ever to live, can grow to more than 100 feet but feed on tiny krill, straining them through comb-like baleen plates instead of hunting with teeth. However, if you get close enough, you can smell their stinky breath from inside the boat. Humpbacks, grays, and other large baleen species are also known for curious, almost playful encounters with boats.
But it isn’t so simple. Orcas, technically the largest dolphins, are apex predators that hunt seals, fish, and even other whales. Sperm whales, armed with rows of sharp teeth, dive thousands of feet to battle giant squid. One even sank the whaling ship Essex in 1820, inspiring the American novel Moby Dick and the contemporary 2015 film In the Heart of the Sea. Even baleen whales can be dangerous if startled, capable of capsizing small boats with a single breach or tail slap.
So, while “gentle giants” makes for a poetic nickname, the truth is more nuanced. Whales are mighty, complex survivors deserving both awe and respect.
