Newest freshwater cetacean
- Who
- Araguaian river dolphin or Araguaian boto Inia
- Where
- Brazil
- When
- 29 January 2015
The newest species of freshwater cetacean is the Araguaian river dolphin or Araguaian boto Inia araguaiaensis. Native to the Araguaia-Tocanthins basin of Brazil, it was formally classified and named as a separate species from the Amazonian river dolphin or boto Inia geoffrensis as recently as January 2014.
This new species is distinguished from the other two species of boto by virtue of possessing fewer teeth, a wider skull, and differences in its mitochondrial DNA. All three species are freshwater inhabitants and native to South America - the other two are the Amazonian river dolphin or boto Inia geoffrensis and the Bolivian river dolphin or Bolivian boto I. boliviensis.