The largest animal we know of is the blue whale, a species that still lives and thrives to this day. But, the new evidence that has been appearing in the last decades could suggest the existence of a super predator larger than the blue whale that roamed the seas between 200 and 250 million years ago. Now new discoveries and reanalyses are adding more weight to the case.
That case began nearly 20 years ago, when the late Elizabeth Nicholls, who was working with the Royal Tyrell Museum in Alberta, Canada at the time, and a colleague theirs they discovered what were believed to be huge fossilized ichthyosaur bones. The ichthyosaur is a marine reptile that was reportedly found during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Evidence
Evidence for this creature has always been linked to the much older Triassic period, including evidence of an ichthyosaur from the Triassic period found by researchers in 2020. This particular skeleton was classified as a new species of ichthyosaur at the time and was estimated to be 21 meters long, making it a massive apex predator for the time.
Additionally, further evidence was found in a jaw bone measuring around 96 centimeters long. Based on the size of the bone, the researchers believe the creature could measure between 20 and 25 meters, larger than the previous specimen found in 2004.
Analysis
The discovery and analysis of this bone got researchers thinking, and one decided to take another look at a bone found about 50 kilometers along the Lilstock coast. Discovered between the 1840s and 1950s, these bones were believed to be limb bones at the time.. However, a strange groove could prove that they belong to this Triassic super predator.
And, if that’s the case, it would be the largest skeleton these bones belong to, the largest ichthyosaur we’ve ever discovered, measuring up to 30 meters, possibly even 35 meters. That would make it not only the largest marine super-predator, but also the largest marine animal to ever exist. (via NewScientist)