A colossal ancient species of whale that lived 39 million years ago was a true heavyweight, weighing more than double a blue whale and likely earning itself the title as the heaviest known animal to have ever lived.
The newly described basilosaurid (a family of extinct cetaceans), called Perucetus colossus, eclipsed blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in sheer weight with an estimated body mass of between 187,000 to 750,000 pounds (85,000 to 340,000 kilograms). It had an estimated body length of about 66 feet (20 meters) — longer than a lane at a bowling alley, according to a new study published Wednesday (Aug. 2) in the journal Nature.
