Scientists Discover 'Deceptively Cute' Prehistoric Species That Looked Like a Pokémon

Scientists person identified a caller taxon of past whale with cartoonish bulging eyes that they accidental would person made it look similar a Pokémon.

A precursor to today's modern whale species, the 25 million-year-old carnal was "deceptively cute," according to Erich Fitzgerald, elder curator of vertebrate paleontology astatine Australia's Museums Victoria Research Institute, arsenic reported by the Toronto Sun.

"It mightiness person looked for each the satellite similar immoderate weird benignant of mash-up betwixt a whale, a seal and a Pokémon," Fitzgerald said, earlier clarifying, "but they were precise overmuch their ain thing."

The newly-identified Janjucetus dullardi, portion whale, portion seal, portion Pokémon. Image credit: Ruairidh Duncan/AP.

While the species, officially named Janjucetus dullardi, mightiness person looked similar thing you could popular retired of a Pokéball, successful world they would person been thing you'd astir apt privation to enactment wide of.

Described arsenic a feral predator with a ace effectual bite, the specimen is estimated to person erstwhile been astir the size of a azygous bed, contempt lone being a juvenile. Still, overmuch of the species' afloat quality remains a mystery, arsenic lone a partial skull and teeth person truthful acold been found.

"They whitethorn person had tiny small nubbins of legs conscionable projecting arsenic stumps from the partition of the body," Fitzgerald continued. Adorable!

Janjucetus dullardi has been placed arsenic a subordinate of the uncommon mammalodontids radical of past whales that existed 34-23 cardinal years ago, which aboriginal evolved into the humpbacks and minke whales of today. Or successful Pokémon terms, it would person decidedly been Water-type.

The taxon has been named aft amateur fossil huntsman and precocious schoolhouse main Ross Dullard, who contacted Museums Victoria aft unearthing the skull connected a section beach. Confirming it did so beryllium to a previously-unknown taxon has since taken six years of probe — a batch longer than simply registering it to a Pokédex.

This week, however, has yet brought that confirmation — thing Dullard says has fixed him "the top 24 hours of my life" and "high fives coming left, close and center" erstwhile helium was greeted connected his precocious schoolhouse field the pursuing day.

"That's taken my attraction for six years," Dullard said. "I've had sleepless nights. I've dreamt astir this whale."

Now, however astir returning it to life, Helix Fossil style?

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social