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Livyatan melvillei Sperm Whale Tooth, adult

Livyatan melvillei
Sperm Whale Tooth
Miocene (~2.6-15 Million Years)

Livyatan is an extinct genus of sperm whale containing one known species: Livyatan. melvillei. The genus name was inspired by the biblical sea monster Leviathan, and the species name by Herman Melville, the author of the famous novel Moby-Dick about a white bull sperm whale. Herman Melville often referred to whales as "Leviathans" in his book. Leviathan’s total length has been estimated to be about 13.5–17.5 m (44–57 ft), almost similar to that of the modern sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), making it one of the largest predators known to have existed. The teeth of Livyatan measured 36.2 cm (1.19 ft), and are the largest biting teeth of any known animal, excluding tusks. The holotype skull of Livyatan was about 3 m (9.8 ft) long. Unlike the modern sperm whale, Livyatan had functional teeth in both jaws. The wearing on the teeth indicates that the teeth sheared past each other while biting down, meaning it could bite off large portions of flesh from its prey. The lower jaw has 22 teeth, and the upper jaw has 18 teeth.

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