Overview

• The peer-reviewed description of Janjucetus dullardi was published in August 2025 in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
• MicroCT analysis of the juvenile partial skull and ear bones in the Museums Victoria State Collection reveals razor-edged teeth, large forward-facing eyes, and detailed cochlear structures.
• Researchers estimate the holotype measured 2–2.2 meters long, indicating a dolphin-sized predator among early mysticetes.
• The fossil was unearthed in 2019 on Jan Juc beach by local resident Ross Dullard and named in his honour to acknowledge public contributions to paleontology.
• The find marks the fourth mammalodontid species worldwide and the third in Victoria, reinforcing the Jan Juc Formation as a hotspot for early whale diversification and guiding ongoing fieldwork.