During this period, part of Switzerland, known as the Upper Marine Molasse, was covered by an ocean teeming with prehistoric fish, sharks, dolphins, mussels and sea urchins. Among them were two species of dolphins that scientists have recently been able to identify.
Paleontologists at the University of Zurich made the discovery by examining 300 fossils of whales and dolphins that swam around Switzerland at this time.
Amid assorted vertebrae and teeth were found bones from the inner ear, which are extremely rare but allow individual species to be classified.
“We managed to identify two families of dolphins previously unknown in Switzerland,” paleontologist Gabriel Aguirre said in a statementExternal link.
The extinct creatures are related to today’s sperm whale and oceanic dolphins.
Using micro-computed tomography, the team was able to reconstruct softer organs, re-model the ears of the dolphins and even analyse their hearing ability.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Rhine could warm by up to 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
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The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
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The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
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During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
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On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
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The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
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The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
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The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
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Largest-ever marine reptile tooth discovered in the Swiss Alps
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A team of researchers have identified a 10cm long tooth discovered in the Swiss Alps as belonging to a giant marine reptile called the Ichthyosaur.
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A team of paleontologists from the Natural History Museum in Basel found last week the footprints of a predatory dinosaur at 3,300 metres in Ela Nature Reserve, Switzerland’s largest park. Basel museum officials said on Saturday that the tracks also represent the largest known specimens from the time period. The prints are 40cm long and…
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