Uncovering the Earliest Ancestors of Modern Dolphins.
Paleontologists have discovered a new species of toothed whale, Olympicetus thalassodon, which lived 28 million years ago and offers insights into the evolution of modern dolphins. This species, along with two other similar odontocetes found in the same area, belong to the Simocetidae family, which forms part of the early diverging groups of toothed whales. The study, however, leaves questions about their echolocation abilities.