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)