27.5 million-year-old Toipahautea whale bones discovered

A new genus of baleen whale has been identified in New Zealand, providing new insight into the prehistoric ancestors of modern day whales. Skull and bones from the Toipahautea waitaki whale, which was named after the district it was located in, are estimated to be around 27.5 million years old. University of Otago's Professor Ewan Fordyce told RNZ reporter Charlie Dreaver it's estimated to have been only five metres in length, which is common for the time period.