Possibly The Heaviest Animal Ever

Meet the Perucetus colossus, an ancient whale that's just been discovered to be one of the most massive animals to have ever lived! This incredible creature lived around 39 million years ago, swimming in the waters of what we now call Peru, South America. Perucetus colossus was a member of the Basilosauridae family, which is made up of extinct cetaceans. Cetaceans are aquatic mammals, such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are hallmarked by their streamlined shape, large size, and often exclusively carnivorous diets. Basilosauridae lived about 41 million to 23 million years ago, and are known to have lived near all continents, including Antarctica. If you would like to learn more about the Basilosauridae family, a team of Paleontologists at the University of Michigan have made a great resource, which you can find here. Go Blue!

How Heavy Are We Talking?

Paleontologists recently found parts of this enormous whale's skeleton. How enormous, you ask? Picture this: the skeleton of Perucetus colossus could reach a whopping 20 meters (66 feet) in length, and weigh as much as 16000 pounds! These bones are heavy, with Perucetus colossus holding the record for the highest body mass index (BMI) known so far for any mammal. But here's the real jaw-dropper: Although it is not as long, the Perucetus colossus might weigh as much as, or even more than, the blue whale. Blue whales are the closest modern relative of the Basilosauridae family, and hold the title of the heaviest animals alive today.

A Piece of History

This discovery is rewriting the story of whale evolution. It turns out that the journey to whale gigantism – being really, really big – actually began far earlier than scientists thought. This whale was fully adapted to aquatic life, and is thought to have lived in shallow waters along the coast of Peru. With the help of pictures and models like the one created by artist A. Gennari, scientists are able to imagine the scale of this colossal creature. The Perucetus colossus is a whale that really tips the scales in the history of heavyweight animals. It's a reminder that our planet has been home to some truly mind-blowing creatures.

The Pharaoh's Whale: Tutcetus rayanensis

Researchers in Egypt have recently dusted off the sands of time to uncover fossils that are rewriting history. This isn’t just any old whale; it is one of the smallest early whales ever found. Most impressive of all, this little swimmer, named Tutcetus rayanensis, has been resting in Africa’s Wadi El-Rayan area for about 41 million years. That makes it the oldest fully aquatic whale ever discovered in Africa. Tutcetus is named after Pharaoh Tutankhamen, a ruler of anceint egypt, and the Greek word for whale, cetus. If you're interested in learning more about this ancient ocean dweller, the University of Michigan has published a great article on them, which you can find here. Go Blue (Again)!

How Small Are We Talking?

At an estimated 412.3 pounds (188 kilograms) and length of 8.2 feet (2.5 meters), Tutcetus rayanensis was about the size of a modern-day bottlenose dolphin. It was also a member of the basilosauridae family. This is the same family as the aforementioned Perucetus colossus, a significantly larger mammal. According to Sanaa El-Sayed, a Ph.D. student at University of Michigan, and a co-author of the study, "The relatively small size of Tutcetus is either primitive retention or could be linked to the global warming event known as the 'Late Lutetian Thermal Maximum (LLTM)". The LLTM was period of time when the world became warmer, and this increase in heat could have been responsible for these whales' small stature.

Small Whale; Big Waves

Although they are small, Tutcetus rayanensis were a huge discovery in the field of whale evolution. Like its larger cousin Perucetus colossus, the discovery of Tutcetus rayanensis is causing scientists to believe that whales became fully aquatic earlier than they had once thought. Tutcetus rayanensis were among the first whales to ever become fully aquatic.

Egyptian-led Science

This discovery is a testament to the progress of Egyptian science, with the fossil discovered, studied, and named all by Egyptian scientists. That's a big shift from how things were historically done, with foreign scientists historically leading research in Egypt. The Wadi El-Rayan area where the fossil was found is a treasure trove, and researchers suspect there could be even older aquatic whale fossils hidden there waiting to be found. The team, which includes paleontologists from Mansoura University’s Vertebrate Paleontology Center and an American University in Cairo professor, emphasizes the significant strides being made in African paleontology. Tutcetus rayanensis shows us that big discoveries can come in small packages, and that by studying the past, we can learn more about the creatures that share our planet. Who knows what other fossils are waiting to be unearthed?