The heaviest animal ever may be this ancient whale found in the Peruvian desert

There could be a new contender for heaviest animal to ever live. While today’s blue whale has long held the title, scientists have dug up fossils from an ancient giant that could tip the scales. Researchers described the species — named Perucetus colossus, or “the colossal whale from Peru” — in the journal Nature on Wednesday. Each vertebra weighs over 220 pounds (100 kilograms) and its ribs measure nearly 5 feet (1.4 meters) long. “It’s just exciting to see such a giant animal that’s so different from anything we know,” said Hans Thewissen, a paleontologist at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

tips

contender 竞争者

blue whale 蓝鲸

dug dig的过去式，挖

vertebra 脊椎；椎骨

tip 提示，建议；给小费；轻碰；倾倒

scale 范围；程度；等级；规模；天平

tip the scales 改变形式

colossus 巨人；巨像

colossal 巨大的

rib 肋骨

paleontology 古生物学（pale- = old，古；onto- 存在）