Gigantic mysticete predators roamed the Eocene Southern Ocean

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Marx, Felix G., Buono, Mónica R., Evans, Alistair R., Fordyce, R. Ewan, Reguero, Marcelo, Hocking, David P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Antarctic; Southern Ocean; Seymour; Seymour Island; Marambio; isla Marambio; Antarc*; Antarctic Science; Antarctica; baleen whales
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/2621291; https://doi.org/10.1017/S095410201800055X

Modern baleen whales (Mysticeti), the largest animals on Earth, arose from small ancestors around 36.4 million years ago (Ma). True gigantism is thought to have arisen late in mysticete history, with species exceeding 10 m unknown prior to 8 Ma. This view is challenged by new fossils from Seymour Is...