In Depth When first described the prehistoric whale Livyatan was actually named Leviathan after the biblical sea monster. Unfortunately however Leviathan had already been used to name a mastodon now known as Mammut (Leviathan is actually a synonym to this genus, but still cannot be used). As such the Hebrew word for Leviathan, Livyatan, is … Read more
In Depth Like many other prehistoric whales of its type Brygmophyseter had teeth in both the upper and lower jaws. As a mid-sized whale, Brygmophyseter would have probably been a generalist hunter tackling a variety of different prey types including fish, squid, and probably other whales. Not much is known about the hunting behaviour, but … Read more
In Depth Zygophyseter was a raptorial sperm whale that is sometimes called the ‘killer sperm whale’. Discovered in southern Italy, Zygophyseter is confirmed to have been active in the Paratethys Sea which today is represented by the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian and Aral Seas. However back in the Miocene the sea levels were much higher which … Read more
In Depth When you translate the full name of Acrophyseter deinodon into English you end up with ‘acute sperm whale terrible teeth’. The genus part of ‘acute sperm whale’ is a reference to the upturned bend in the jaws, suggesting that Acrophyseter may have approached prey from below. The species name deinodon, or ‘terrible teeth’ … Read more