A team of scientists in the south of Peru discovered the remains of a whale, which is a contender for the title of the heaviest animal that ever lived on Earth.
In the Ica desert in southern Peru, researchers have discovered the remains of a large, long-dead whale. This was reported by The Guardian.
Fossil hunters studied the find and now believe they have found the skeleton of the heaviest creature in history.
Until now, the title of the heaviest creature in the world was held by the blue whale, but now scientists believe that the recently discovered whale (Perucetus colossus), which lived tens of millions of years ago on our planet, can overcome it. Despite the fact that the giant whale is less than the blue whale in length – 20 meters compared to 25, its weight is greater than the blue whale. According to their estimates, the mass of ancient species ranged from 85 to 340 tons.
The researchers came to this conclusion after comparing 13 vertebrae, four ribs and a femur of Perucetus colossus with bones from close relatives of the whale. The results suggest that in addition to their enormous size, ancient whales likely also had forelimbs for walking on the sea floor and small vestigial hindlimbs.
“If we look at the lowest estimate of 85 tons (only the discovered animal), we are definitely in the middle of the blue whale, which is the largest animal known today,” said Eli Amson, a mammalian fossil specialist in the State. Museum of Natural History. history in Stuttgart.
However, the researchers noted that there is a high probability that individuals of blue whales live in the ocean, which are larger than those known to man.
Alberto Collareta, a paleontologist from the University of Pisa, and colleagues discovered the fossils of an ancient whale 13 years ago, but after that it took many years to prepare for the study. Unlike most whales, which have a relatively light skeleton and can prey on fast-moving fish and other sea creatures, P. colossus has heavier bones and is likely a slow-swimming scavenger.
It was previously reported that in Scotland, a 44-year-old man discovered the bones of an 8,000-year-old dolphin.
A new type of small creature has been identified
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Source: korrespondent
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