Livyatan

**Livyatan melvillei**

Jurassic Park Builder Artwork

### Name Means

"Leviathan" (generic name)"Melville's (after Herman Melville) Leviathan (scientific name)"

### Taxon

Cetacea, Physeteroidea

***Livyatan***, sometimes known as the *killer sperm whale* or the *dire whale*, is an extinct genus of physeteroid whale, which lived during the Miocene epoch, approximately 12-13 million years ago. The type species is the only known species, being *L. melvillei*. *L. melvillei* was 13.5 to 17.5 metres (47–57 feet) long, about the same as a modern adult male sperm whale. The skull of *Livyatan* is 3 metres (10 feet) long. Unlike the modern sperm whale, *Physeter macrocephalus*, *L. melvillei* had large, fully functional teeth in both its upper and lower jaws.

The jaws of *L. melvillei* were robust and its temporal fossa was also considerably larger than in the modern-age sperm whale. *L. melvillei* is one of the largest predators yet known, with whale experts using the phrase "the biggest tetrapod bite ever found" to explain their find.

The teeth of *L. melvillei* are up to 36 centimetres (1.18 ft, or 14.1 inches) long and are thought to be the largest of any animal yet known. Larger 'teeth' (tusks) are known, such as walrus and elephant tusks, but these are not used directly in eating. Fossil remains of many other animals—including baleen whales, beaked whales, dolphins, porpoises, sharks, sea turtles, seals and sea birds—have been found at the same site where the remains of *L. melvillei* have been excavated.

*L. melvillei* would have been a top predator of its time along with the giant shark, *O. megalodon*, which was contemporaneous with *L. melvillei* in the same region, and the whale probably had a profound impact on the structuring of Miocene marine communities. The appearance of gigantic raptorial sperm whales in the fossil record coincides with a phase of diversification and size-range increase of the baleen-bearing mysticetes in the Miocene. It has even been suggested that *O. megalodon* was prey for this whale, although *O. megalodon* might have also preyed upon this whale from time to time if it could get one.

*L. melvillei* is likely to have preyed upon 7–10 meters (23–33 feet) baleen whales, seals, dolphins, sharks (of all sizes), turtles, and giant squid. It probably hunted in pods, like the sperm whales of today, to avoid other large predators like the *Megalodon* (or to work together in order to overpower the shark). The pods may have reached between 8 and 11 individuals.

## Taxonomy

A partial skull with of *L. melvillei* was discovered at the Pisco Formation in Peru in 2008. It was discovered by a researcher on a school field trip. Researchers decided to name the specimen an the Genus *Leviathan*, after the Biblical monstrous whale, but Leviathan was a synonym for *Mastodon* scientifically, so they changed the name to *Livyatan*. *Livyatan* was classified as a member of the group Physeteroidia, which includes modern day Sperm Whales.

## Classification

A giant 30-centimeter-long tooth was unearthed by scientist Murray Orr on the beaches of Beaumaris Bay. This locality is known for preserving many cetacean and shark remains, with this fossilized tooth belonging to a massive extinct sperm whale. It is said the animal was closely related to *Livyatan melvillei*. The whale is theorized to have crushed smaller whales in the open ocean, estimated at an astounding 18 meter (59 foot) length and a 40,000 kilogram (88,000 pound) weight. The fossil dates about 5 million year ago. The fossil was donated to Museum Victoria, where researcher Dr. Erich Fitzgerald and team are currently studying the specimen. It was dated to the Pliocene and likely represents a second species of *Livyatan*.The ancestors of orcas probably lead to the extinction of livyatan

## Description

***Livyatan melvillei***, sometimes known as the *dire whale*, is an extinct species of physeteroid whale, which lived during the Miocene epoch, approximately 12-13 million years ago. *Livyatan melvillei* was 13.5 to 17.5 metres (47–57 feet) long, about the same as a modern adult male sperm whale. The biggest ones could go to 20 meters (70 feet) {Extremely rare though.} The skull of *Livyatan melvillei* is 3 metres (10 feet) long. Unlike the modern sperm whale, *Physeter macrocephalus*, *L. melvillei* had functional teeth in both its jaws.The jaws of *L. melvillei* were robust and its temporal fossa was also considerably larger than in the modern-age sperm whale. *L. melvillei* is one of the largest predators yet known, with whale experts using the phrase "the biggest tetrapod bite ever found" to explain their find. Its mandible was also located at the same place of Sperm Whales today.

## Paleobiology

*Livyatan* lived from the Miocene to the Pliocene, the same time as Megalodon. Some scientists believe that *Livyatan* hunted *Megalodon* but others believe its the other way around, but both mysteriously became extinct at the same time. Livyatan was a hypercarnivore, which means that its diet was more than 70 percent meat, which is why scientists believe it is the ancestor of Modern Sperm Whales.

*Livyatan* was an apex predator, and it usually hunted animals close to the surface. Its favorite prey was medium sized Baleen Whales, but it also hunted anything else it could reach, like *Megalodon*. It occupied a Niche similar to the ones Killer Whales do today. *Livyatan* usually weakened its prey, either by ramming it or by biting and holding it in one place without letting it move. But unlike modern Carnivorous whales, *Livyatan* hunted alone.

## Paleoecology

*Livyatan* lived in the waters around modern South America. It prefered warmer waters, around the Equator. The specimen *L. mellvei* lived during the Tortonian stage of The upper miocene, about 9.9 to 8.9 mya.

### Extinction

*Livyatan* became extinct due to a sudden cool in temperature towards the late Miocene, along with competition pressures due to the appearance of early Orca relatives.

## Appearance in other media

### *Jurassic Park*

* Livyatan appeared in the video game Jurassic Park Builder.

## References

* http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/photogalleries/100630-leviathan-mellvillei-sperm-whale-fossils-science/
* https://manasataramgini.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/a-killer-sperm-whale/
* https://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/01/peru.levithan.whale/index.html#fbid=E5tOVcqfttb
* https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jul-03-la-sci-whale-fossil-20100703-story.html
* https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/science/foot-long-ancient-tooth-discovered-on-australian-beach.html
* https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/behold-leviathan-the-sperm-whale-that-killed-other-whales
* https://www.nature.com/articles/news.2010.322

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