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Oisterboy · 07-01-2010, 02:40 PM

Quote:

LONDON – Scientists have discovered an ancient whale whose bite ripped huge chunks of flesh out of other whales about 12 million years ago — and they've named it after the author of "Moby Dick."

The prehistoric sperm whale grew to between 13 and 18 meters (up to 60 feet) long, not unusual by today's standards. But unlike modern sperm whales, Leviathan melvillei, named for Herman Melville, sported vicious, tusk-like teeth some 36 centimeters (14 inches) long.

The ancient beast evidently dined on other whales, researchers said in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. They report finding a skull of the beast in a Peruvian desert.

The researchers named it in tribute to the 19th-century author and his classic tale of the great white whale, which includes frequent digressions on natural history that punctuate the action.

"There is a chapter about fossils," one of the paper's authors, Olivier Lambert of the Natural History Museum in Paris, said. "Melville even mentions some of the fossils that I studied for my PhD thesis."

Anthony Friscia, a paleontologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who wasn't involved in the discovery, said scattered finds of huge fossilized teeth had long hinted at the ancient whale's existence. But without a skull to fit them in, the creature's shape, size and feeding habits remained a mystery.

"The fact that they have found the entire jaw — well, almost the entire skull — is what's pretty unprecedented," he said.

The ancient beasts "were the killer whales of their time, although on a much grander scale," Friscia said. "They were close to the biggest things around."

Friscia said he thought the choice of a name was fantastic.

"You gotta love any time you get a nod to literature in taxonomy," he said. "It was a big whale, so why not?"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100630/...u_whale_fossil

Cool! Man, the picture was so badass it caught my attention.

SuperKenshin · 07-01-2010, 03:48 PM

Pretty interesting.
I was looking up extinct animals once and I noticed it seemed like most of them were just bigger versions of animals we have now...

Arcon · 07-01-2010, 03:53 PM

But could it beat the Megalodon? Or whatever giant-shark is called

Anglo · 07-01-2010, 04:18 PM

lol @ sperm whale....I'm such a child.

Dr.φιλοσοφία · 07-01-2010, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oisterboy

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100630/...u_whale_fossil

Cool! Man, the picture was so badass it caught my attention.

i accidently skipped the whale part and read this

Quote:

The prehistoric sperm grew to between 13 and 18 meters (up to 60 feet) long, not unusual by today's standards. But unlike modern sperm, Leviathan melvillei, named for Herman Melville, sported vicious, tusk-like teeth some 36 centimeters (14 inches) long.

Feels bad...

Also pretty intresting i wonder if any exist or why there counterparts are smaller.

Also why didnt they just name it a moby "dick" for a "sperm whale" (its a joke get it?)

TheSkald · 07-01-2010, 08:17 PM

I thought you meant that Herman Melville was a actually a giant predatory whale.

eripmav08 · 07-02-2010, 03:39 AM

wow.. when i was a child i always watch moby dick..

07-01-2010, 03:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
SuperKenshin Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Memphis Posts: 401 Reputation: 15	Pretty interesting. I was looking up extinct animals once and I noticed it seemed like most of them were just bigger versions of animals we have now... __________________

07-01-2010, 08:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
TheSkald Firor's Fury Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Apollo and the buffalo and Anna Anna Anna oh! Posts: 3,043 Reputation: 348	I thought you meant that Herman Melville was a actually a giant predatory whale. __________________

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07-01-2010, 03:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
Arcon Illgamez Insomniac Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Where the awesome is Posts: 2,221 Reputation: 59	But could it beat the Megalodon? Or whatever giant-shark is called

07-02-2010, 03:39 AM	#7 (permalink)
eripmav08 McFox Sandwich Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: philippines Posts: 472 Reputation: 10	wow.. when i was a child i always watch moby dick..