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animals

The newly discovered Perucetus colossus, an ancient species of whale, is thought to be one of the largest and heaviest animals on record, reports a study published in Nature. Estimates of its size and weight, based on a partial skeleton, rival those of the blue whale, which was previously thought to be the heaviest animal ever to exist. The findings suggest that the trend towards gigantism in marine mammals may have begun earlier than previously thought. Reconstruction of Perucetus colossus in its coastal habitat. Estimated body length: ~20 meters. Credit: Alberto Gennari

Life

Ancient whale might have been the heaviest animal that ever lived

A whale that lived around 39 million years ago could have weighed as much as 340 tonnes, according to analysis of a partial skeleton found in Peru

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Oldest adult jellyfish fossil ever found is over 500 million years old

Life

Oldest adult jellyfish fossil ever found is over 500 million years old

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Male moths make their own perfume from flowers to attract females

Life

Male moths make their own perfume from flowers to attract females

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Nightingales match the pitch of their rivals in singing duels

Life

Nightingales match the pitch of their rivals in singing duels

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Life

Unique egg patterns help drongos avoid getting duped by cuckoos

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Life

Shortage of male turtles could be solved by splash of cold seawater

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Life

Postmenopausal orcas seem to prevent sons from getting into fights

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Life

Basking sharks are one of the few warm-blooded species of fish

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Life

Amazing fossil hints mammals hunted dinosaurs three times their size

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Life

Fossil of pregnant ground sloth discovered with fetus inside

Found in a Brazilian cave, the remarkable specimen of a ground sloth fetus inside its mother offers a rare insight into the developmental biology of the extinct mammal

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Life

Pigs open doors to free companions in a possible show of empathy

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Environment

Mass fish deaths will occur more often in rivers as UK gets hotter

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Life

Bone disease in sabre-toothed tigers may be a sign of inbreeding

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Life

Life’s hidden laws: The arcane rules of evolution and how they work

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