Rise of East African Plateau dated by whale fossil

Old bones’ elevation constrains timing of uplift that influenced human evolution

whale fossil

STUCK UP  A beaked whale that got stuck in a river 17 million years ago is helping to pinpoint when the East African Plateau began to rise.

Matthew Colbert/University of Texas at Austin

A 17-million-year-old whale fossil is helping scientists pinpoint when the East African Plateau started to rise.