Scientists have discovered evidence of a new contender for the title of the heaviest animal to ever exist. While the blue whale has long held this distinction, fossils from an ancient giant indicate that there may have been even larger creatures in the past.
The species, named Perucetus colossus or “the colossal whale from Peru,” was described in a study published in the journal Nature. The fossils, including vertebrae weighing over 220 pounds (100 kilograms) and ribs measuring nearly 5 feet (1.4 meters) in length, provide insight into the immense size of this ancient whale.
Hans Thewissen, a paleontologist at Northeast Ohio Medical University, remarked on the excitement of discovering such a unique and enormous creature. “It’s just exciting to see such a giant animal that’s so different from anything we know,” he said.
The bones of Perucetus colossus were discovered over a decade ago by Mario Urbina from the University of San Marcos’ Natural History Museum in Lima. It took an international team several years to excavate the bones from a steep, rocky slope in Peru’s Ica desert, an area known for its rich marine fossils. The recovered fossils include 13 vertebrae, four ribs, and a hip bone.
The age of these massive fossils is estimated to be 39 million years. “They are unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” said study author Alberto Collareta from Italy’s University of Pisa.
The researchers utilized 3D scanners to study the bone’s surface and conducted internal examinations through drilling. By comparing the incomplete skeleton to modern marine mammals, the team estimated the size and weight of the ancient whale. They determined that the colossal whale weighed between 94 and 375 tons (85 and 340 metric tons), falling within the range of the largest recorded blue whales, which weigh around 200 tons (180 metric tons).
The body of Perucetus colossus stretched approximately 66 feet (20 meters) in length. While blue whales can be longer, surpassing 100 feet (30 meters), the newly discovered whale may have been the heaviest animal ever known.
This significant weight difference is due to the denser and heavier bones of Perucetus colossus compared to blue whales. According to Eli Amson, a paleontologist at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany, this suggests that the ancient whale may have inhabited shallow coastal waters, similar to other heavy-boned coastal dwellers like manatees.
Without a complete skull, it is challenging to determine the whale’s diet and how it sustained its massive size. Researchers speculate that P. colossus may have scavenged along the seafloor or consumed large quantities of krill and tiny sea creatures. Hans Thewissen even suggests that this ancient whale may have had a feeding method that is beyond our current imagination.
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