Researchers find the new world's heaviest animal; what it is?

An intriguing discovery was recently announced by scientists, possibly identifying theanimal heaviest that ever inhabited our planet.

The protagonists of this surprising revelation are the fossils of a colossal whale found in the desert of Ica, located in the south of Peru, named Perucetus Colossus.

The news, initially disclosed in the journal Nature and later addressed by the New York Post on the 2 August, generated enormous interest, both among the scientific community and the general population.

The heaviest animal on the planet is 40 million years old

According to the researchers, it is estimated that the ancient whale, which existed more than 40 million years ago, reached an impressive weight of approximately 375 tonnes and a length of around 20 meters.

(Image: Reproduction / Daily Mail)

These numbers are really impressive, aren't they? To understand the magnitude of the discovery, it is worth mentioning that, until then, the heaviest whale ever recognized was the blue whale, weighing around 200 tons.

Paleontologist Eli Amson, from the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany, led the work and included in the publication that the colossal whale possibly holds the title as the heaviest animal existing.

(Image: Reproduction / Daily Mail)

Hans Thewisse, a researcher and paleontologist at Northeast Ohio Medical University, is also part of the research team and expressed his excitement in reporting the new discovery. “It is thrilling to witness the presence of such a colossal animal that it is unlike anything we know.”

The path to new discovery

More than a decade ago, the first evidence of these bones was found by Mario Urbina, linked to the Museum of Natural History at the University of San Marcos, Lima.

The subsequent deployment involved an international team that dedicated years to excavating these fossils. monuments of the steep and rocky slope of the Peruvian desert, an area known for its fossilized deposits marine.

Since then, paleontologists have managed to identify 13 vertebrae in the dorsal column of the whale, along with four ribs and a pelvic bone.

It is relevant to note that each of these vertebrae weighs more than 100 kg, while the ribs are impressive at almost 1.5 meters in length. Literally, a great discovery for science!

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