Researchers Dispute Claim That Ancient #Whale Was Heaviest Animal Ever https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/science/giant-whale-perucetus.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZE0.YGhi.r9exWswx4Sdr&smid=url-share by @Carl_Zimmer

Downsizing a heavyweight: factors and methods that revise weight estimates of the giant #fossil whale Perucetus colossus https://peerj.com/articles/16978/

"A new study argues that #Perucetus, an ancient whale species, was certainly big, but not as big as today’s blue #whales."

Perucetus and Tutcetus, two recently-discovered ancient whales from the Eocene epoch. Been a good month for whale lovers all around.

#FossilFriday #perucetus #tutcetus #paleoart #paleontology #whales

Did a couple of doodles of the chonk-whale

#perucetus #perucetuscolossus #speculativebiology #paleoart #art #sketch #whale

Scientists in Peru have discovered the fossils of the heaviest animal to have ever lived, the 150 metric tonne Perucetus colossus.

Thanks yet again for another amazing science find The Guernsey Scientist !

#science #sciencefacts #fossil #fossils #perucetus #perucetuscolossus #peru

the dangers of trying to catch up on the hot new science while very tired

#Perucetus vertebrae are so thick, scrolled too fast & deadass thought they put the Venus of Willendorf in the paper as a way to illustrate how chonky this whale is

is anyone else seeing this or

thinking about #Perucetus , #whales , #sauropods , and their sizes, I am reminded of the great series on whale sizes Joe ( @CetologyH ) did on the Cetology Hub blog:

https://callmejoe3.wordpress.com/category/cetacea/size/

It doesn't include Perucetus, (yet?) but it is wonderful for putting Perucetus in context. Some great reads on the sizes of whales and other huge animals.

#fossilFriday , since Joe includes some fossil animals