In this 2023 artist illustration by Alberto Gennari, Perucetus colossus is reconstructed in its coastal habitat, with an estimated body length: ~20 meters. A new species of ancient whale might be the heaviest animal ever found. Researchers describe the new species named Perucetus colossus, or “the colossal whale from Peru," in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. (Alberto Gennari/Nature via AP)
August 2, 2023
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August 2, 2023 10:35 a.m.
The heaviest animal ever may be this ancient whale found in the Peruvian desert
After the excavations, the researchers used 3D scanners to study the surface of the bones and drilled into them to peek inside