A whale fossil unearthed from some 11 million year old stratum in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, in 2002 has been confirmed as a newly discovered group of the baleen whale species, the Gunma Museum of Natural History said Friday.
![Whale of a draw: The whale fossil Jomo Kujira (Jomo Whale) unearthed from an 11 million-year-old stratum in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, will be displayed at the Gunma Museum of Natural History in Tomioka from Saturday [ KYODO PHOTO]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_BfC6j03vee0/S8wlPyDelYI/AAAAAAAAA6A/wzkW5HNxu10/image3832_b%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800 "Whale of a draw: The whale fossil Jomo Kujira (Jomo Whale) unearthed from an 11 million-year-old stratum in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, will be displayed at the Gunma Museum of Natural History in Tomioka from Saturday [ KYODO PHOTO]")
The fossil "Jomo Kujira" (Jomo Whale), named after the prefecture's title in ancient times, will be displayed at the museum in Tomioka from Saturday through May 9.
With its nasal and occipital bones located apart, the fossil shows the intermediate step in the baleen whale's development, according to the museum.
The 755-mm skull, spine and other parts of the whale were discovered by Masaru Shimizu, a 41-year-old amateur researcher in the prefecture.
Source: The Japan Times