A local research team has found a fossil of an extinct dolphin species that lived some 13 million years ago.

Led by Professor Lim Jong-deok of Seoul National University, the team on Wednesday said it found a dolphin's upper jawbone with eight perfectly preserved teeth in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.

Discovered in a layer of earth, the fossil is believed to date back to the Miocene period of the Cenozoic Era, which began 65 million years ago.

The extinct dolphin is from the Kentriodontidae family, whose members are relatively small with a body length of two meters.

The team said the finding is a clear indication that waters around the country were once inhabited by ancient species of dolphins, and that current species living near the peninsula are their descendents.

The Korea Research Foundation, which funded Lim's research, said it will display the fossil at a whale museum in Donghae, Gangwon Province.