Zygophyseter
Zygophyseter varolai
Resurrected on:
Genus information
Zygophyseter is a primitive Sperm Whale that lived during the Miocene epoch of Europe. It belonged to a group called macroraptorial sperm whales, which were highly predatory whales that hunted, mainly, other marine mammals. Zygophyseter had a large beak with many conical-shaped teeth and was able to use echolocation to search for prey. Also, it was probably able to swim faster than a modern day Sperm Whale and it may have used the same tactics as modern day Killer Whales for hunting.
Family:
Distribution:
Epoch:
Physeteroidea
Europe
Miocene
Species information
Zygophyseter varolai is the only species within the genus of Zygophyseter and fossils have been found in Italy. Just a single specimen was found, but it was an almost complete skeleton. The species could grow up to 7 meters in length and weighted about 2.000 kg!
Species:
Paleontologist:
Distribution:
Epoch:
Zygophyseter varolai
Bianucci & Landini, 2006
Europe
Miocene
Length:
Height:
Weight:
7.0 m
n/a
2.000 kg
Reference:
Size comparison

Distribution map