psy: Cetacean

Evidence: 57 • authority: 72

The largest extant animal, as well as the largest animal to ever exist, is the blue whale. The maximum recorded weight was 190 tonnes for a specimen measuring 27.6 metres (91 ft), whereas longer ones, up to 33.6 metres (110 ft), have been recorded but not weighed. It is estimated that this individual could have a mass of 250 tonnes or more. The longest non-colonial animal is the lion's mane jellyfish (120 ft, 36.6 m). While controversial, estimates for the weight of the sauropod Bruhathkayosaurus suggest it was around 110–170 tons, with the highest estimate being 240 tons, if scaled with Patagotitan, although actual fossil remains no longer exist, and that estimation is based on described d…

Evidence: 24 • authority: 92

A large tyrannosaurid from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of North America.. The Tyrannosauridae emerged as the dominant large predators in Laurasia during the Late Cretaceous. Their evolution in North America culminated with the replacement of Albertosaurinae, Daspletosaurinae, and Teratophonei, with masses of 2-3 tonnes, by the giant Tyrannosaurus in the late Maastrichtian, with a mass approaching or exceeding 10 tonnes. The origin of Tyrannosaurus remains enigmatic, but fossils suggest an origin in the Campanian-Maastrichtian of southern Laramidia. Here we describe an unusually large and robust tyrannosaurid tibia from the late Campanian aged Hunter Wash Member of the Kirtland Formation…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Cephalopods, which include squids and octopuses, vary enormously in size. The smallest are only about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) long and weigh less than 1 gram (0.035 oz) at maturity, while the giant squid can exceed 10 metres (33 ft) in length and the colossal squid can weigh almost 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) or more, making them the largest living invertebrates. Living species range in mass more than three-billion-fold, or across nine orders of magnitude, from the lightest hatchlings to the heaviest adults. Certain cephalopod species are also noted for having individual body parts of exceptional size. Cephalopods were at one time the largest of all organisms on Earth, and numerous species of c…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Cetaceans are marine mammals belonging to the infraorder Cetacea (), a secondarily aquatic clade under the order Artiodactyla that include whales, dolphins, porpoises and extinct groups such as Basilosaurus. Most cetaceans live in marine environments, particularly the pelagic zone, but some reside solely in brackish or fresh water. Having a cosmopolitan distribution, they can be found in some rivers and all of Earth's oceans. Many species migrate seasonally over vast ranges for food advantages. Key characteristics of cetaceans are their fully aquatic life cycle, streamlined, fish-like body shape, the need to periodically surface and breathe air, and exclusively carnivorous diet. Some cetace…