Specimen P 160428 Research Focus, Bayside Fossils - Beaked Whale Rostrum, Ziphiidae

Summary

The three individual fragments of this fossilised beaked whale rostrum (snout) were found at the same Bayside beach, many years apart. This was the first fragment, the tip of the snout, found by Tim Flannery while diving at Beaumaris in 1977. Connah Brecon found the second piece in 2020, and the third in 2021. They fit together perfectly, making this one of the most complete beaked whale fossils from Australia.

Beaked whales (Ziphiidae) are some of the most mysterious and rare living whale species, rarely seen by humans. They first evolved in the Miocene, more than 15 million years ago.