| Perucetus Temporal range: Middle Eocene, Bartonian | |
|---|---|
| |
| Paleoart of P. colossus by Alberto Gennari. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cetacea |
| Suborder: | †Archaeoceti |
| Family: | †Basilosauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Pachycetinae |
| Genus: | †Perucetus Bianucci, 2023 |
| Type species | |
| †Perucetus colossus Bianucci, 2023 | |
Perucetus is an extinct genus of carnivorous early whale that lived in the late Eocene of Peru. The type and only species of the genus is P. colossus. The animal is currently regarded one of the largest animals in history, though more study is required to form an official size estimate. The animal was quite massive, sporting a proportionally tiny mosasaur-shaped head, a barrel-chested torso, 2 small forelimbs with potential individual fingers, and 2 even smaller vestigial hindlimbs.
Discovery and Naming[]
Photo of P. colossus holotype next to man
Paleontologist Giovanni Bianucci and his team discovered the massive animal holotype in the Paracas Formation in Peru; the specimen recovered included four ribs, thirteen assorted vertebrae, and fragments of the pelvic area.
The name "Perucetus" simply means "Whale from Peru", relating to its location of origin. The specific name, "colossus", is derived from the sheer gigantic size of the specimen found.
Classification[]
Shorty after being discovered, it was easy for scientists to tell based on time period and morphological attributes that P. colossus belonged to the family of early whales, Basilosauridae, with the closest known relatives being Antaecetus and Platyosphys in subfamily Pachycetinae.
Gallery[]
