Data from: The largest freshwater odontocete: a South Asian river dolphin relative from the Proto-Amazonia

Several dolphin lineages have independently invaded freshwater systems.
Among these, the evolution of the South Asian river dolphin Platanista and
its closest relatives (Platanistidae) remains virtually unknown as fossils
are scarce. Here, we describe Pebanista yacuruna gen. et sp. nov., a
fossil dolphin from the Miocene proto-Amazonia of Peru, recovered in
phylogenies as the closest relative of Platanista. Morphological
characters such as an elongated rostrum and large supraorbital crests,
along with ecological interpretations, indicate that this new taxon was
fully adapted to freshwater environments. Pebanista constitutes
the largest freshwater odontocete known, with an estimated body length of
3 meters. It highlights the ample resource availability in the region,
supporting biotic diversity during the Early to Middle Miocene. The
finding of Pebanista in proto-Amazonian layers attests that platanistids
ventured into freshwater ecosystems not only in South Asia, but also in
South America, long before and independently of modern Amazon River
dolphin Inia, during a crucial moment for the evolution of the Amazonian
realm.