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Tooth be told: Earless seals existed in ancient Australia
A fossilised seal tooth found on a Victorian beach could hold the key to uncovering the history and geography of earless seals that graced Australia’s shores three million years ago.
This prehistoric specimen is only the second earless seal fossil ever discovered in Australia, and proves the country’s local fur seals and sea lions were preceded by a group of sea mammals, known as monachines, now long extinct in Australia.
The study also highlights the current dangers of climate change to Earth’s existing wildlife, with falling sea levels likely to have played a role in the extinction of these ancient seals.
The history of this rare specimen was published today (Friday 3 April) in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology by a team of scientists from Monash University’s School of Biological Sciences and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, and Museums Victoria, led by PhD candidate James Rule.
More:
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/04/tooth-be-told-earless-seals-existed-in-ancient-australia/127189
