Prehistoric whale skeleton found in Tuscany

Italian researchers have found the skeleton of a 33-foot prehistoric whale in the Tuscan countryside, a discovery that could shed light on the ancient environment of the sea, officials said. The skeleton dates to 4 million years ago, to the Pliocene epoch, said paleontologists with the Museum of Natural History in Florence who are studying the fossil. The skeleton was found a few weeks ago in Orciano Pisano, in the countryside about 50 miles east of Florence. It was found about 100 yards below ground in what used to be the sea occupying most of today's Tuscany, the statement said.