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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Gabriella Sotelo

Newly discovered whale species could have been heaviest animal ever

Reconstruction of Perucetus colossus in its coastal habitat, with an estimated body length of 20 metres.
Reconstruction of Perucetus colossus in its coastal habitat, with an estimated body length of 20 metres. Photograph: Alberto Gennari

The fossilised bones of an ancient creature that patrolled coastal waters 40m years ago belong to a newly discovered species that is a contender for the heaviest animal ever to have existed on Earth.

Fossil hunters discovered remnants of the enormous and long-extinct whale in a rock formation in the Ica desert of southern Peru. Fully grown adults might have weighed hundreds of tonnes, researchers believe.

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