Extinct 39-million-year-old whale outweighed modern blue whales, says research

LONDON: In a recent publication in Nature, researchers have discovered evidence indicating that an ancient whale species, Perucetus colossus, may have been heavier than the modern blue whale, challenging the record for the heaviest animal ever lived.

According to Sky News, the findings of the research were based on the analysis of a partial skeleton discovered in the Ica desert of Peru, dating back approximately 39 million years.

As per the research, Perucetus colossus, belonging to the basilosaurids family of extinct cetaceans, lived during the middle Eocene to the late Oligocene epoch, about 41 million to 23 million years ago.

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The researchers estimate the body mass of this extinct species to be up to 340 tonnes, which is three times heavier than the blue whale, the largest living animal today.

Meanwhile, Dr Eli Amson, a researcher at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart in Germany, said, “It might be the heaviest animal known to date. In any case, it was at least as heavy as the blue whale.”

The study revealed that despite its gigantic bone mass, P. colossus was not longer than the largest blue whales, estimated to have been 17 metre -20 metre (56ft-66ft) long compared to the 30 metre (98ft) length of modern blue whales.

The study also inidicated that the added bone on the outer surface of skeletal elements and the filling of inner cavities with compact bone contributed to the tremendous weight of P. colossus. The additional weight likely supported the ancient species in regulating resilience and maintaining stability while underwater.

The researchers suggest that P. colossus may have been a slow swimmer and inhabited coastal areas during its existence in the oceans millions of years ago.

Hum News