It weighs about 340 tons.. A fossil reveals the heaviest animal ever
It weighs about 340 tons. Fossil reveals the heaviest animal ever - photo from pexels by rudolf kirchner
There was a common belief that dinosaurs were the largest and largest animals that existed in human history, but according to a new study published in the journal Nature, there is an ancient species of whale known as Perucetus Colossus, which is 39 million years old, and was discovered as the heaviest animal ever.
Discover ancient species of whales
As published in sciencefocus, the Perucetus Colossus strain was known as the largest and heaviest animal in human history. The study suggests that the estimated body length of the whale reached 20 meters, or 66 feet, while the body mass ranged from 85 to 340 tons. These results came after studying the skeletal mass of the whale, which was estimated at 2 to 3 times the mass of the blue whale known today, which is considered the heaviest animal in size today, as its skeleton weighs 3,500 kg, or 7,700 pounds.
The study also revealed, after excavating 13 vertebrae from the whale's backbone, 4 ribs and the hip bone, that each of its vertebrae weighs more than 100 kilograms, and the length of its ribs is about 1.4 meters.
The history of the discovery of the Perucetus Colossus dates back to 13 years ago, when the Peruvian paleontologist and co-author of this study, Mario Urbina, excavated traces of the skeleton of the whale skeleton, but what amazed the experts was the shape the whale looked like, especially since it had a small head and a huge body. .
The whale's head is a puzzle that baffles scientists
According to the statements of Dr. Eli Amson, curator of fossils for mammals at Stuttgart State University of Natural History in Germany, and one of the authors of the research paper, the head of the whale of the Perucetus colossus strain posed a great mystery to them, especially as it conflicts with the body of the huge whale, which in turn will inevitably affect movement.
Scientists suggest that the whale did not possess swimming skills, but was moving very slowly, and according to the results of the study of the Perucetus Colossus strain, it revealed that the size and bodies of whales reached their peak 30 million years ago.
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