A new dolphin species has been discovered

A new dolphin species has been recently discovered in Australia. It has been given a scientific name, Tursiops australis and a common name, Burrunan dolphin. Its name derives from the Aboriginal language and means “large sea fish similar to a porpoise”. It was believed that these dolphins belonged to one of the two recognised Tursiops species, even though some differences had already been observed, which were not sufficient, however, for a new classification. Recently, the cranium of these dolphins has been examined along with other external features and the DNA extracted from some specimens and the discovery of some unique characteristics has allowed the classification of a new species. Currently, only two resident populations of the Burrunan dophin have been identified, one in Port Phillip and the other in the Gippsland lakes; their combined population is of about 150. This limited number of specimens would classify the new Burruran dolphin as a species in danger of extinction..