Question:
I read that the Blue Whale is the largest animal ever on earth. I was told
that this is only by weight.I was told that there was a dinosaur that was
longer. What is the truth?
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Answer:
I believe that it is still the blue whale that holds the record. I dug
around online and saw where the confusion might come from, because in
February 2004, supposedly, the bones of a dinosaur estimated to be 35 m in
length (about 115 ft) and estimated to 50 metric tons was found near Riodeva
in the eastern province of Teruel, Spain. (I was unable to locate an actual
scientific publication that mentions this animal though). The largest known
blue whale was 33.6 meters in length, however, no weight was obtained for
this animal. The heaviest known blue whale measured 27.6 m and weighed 190
metric tons, so the guesstimate would be that the 33.6 m long blue whale was
even heavier than the heaviest known weight. Length is one thing in terms of
size, but weight, as you pointed out, is quite another. I think the thought
is that when one talks 'largest', it is meant by surface area and
volume...either way, I'm still willing to put my money on the blue whale and
the scientific facts.
Hope that helps.
Regards,
Dagmar Fertl
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