The skull of the newfound Basilosaurus species sits on display at the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru
Researchers digging in Peru’s Ocucaje Desert have uncovered the skull of an enormous marine predator thought to be the ancestor of modern whales and dolphins. 1.2 metres long and lined with knife-like teeth, the skull appears to be a new species of Basilosaurus, a genus of ferocious marine mammals that lived some 36 million years ago during the Eocene epoch. From snout to tail the creature probably measured about 12 metres long, or about the size of a city bus. For now researchers are calling this ancient beast the ‘Ocucaje Predator’. It won’t be formally named until the team publishes a scientific description of the species in a peer-reviewed journal.