The Blue Whale Is the Largest Animal That Ever Lived
A whale is a large marine mammal. The blue whale outsizes every dinosaur known from the fossil record.
A whale is a large marine mammal of the order Cetacea. The blue whale is the largest animal known to have existed, reaching thirty metres and nearly two hundred tonnes — larger than any dinosaur in the fossil record. Its heart alone weighs about as much as a small car, and its tongue can weigh as much as an elephant. Whales evolved from land mammals that returned to the sea about fifty million years ago, and their closest living relative is the hippopotamus.
- A marine mammal. *A blue whale.*
- Cetacea — the order. *Cetaceans.*
- Baleen — the filtering plates. *Baleen whales.*
- A whale of a time — a great time. *A whale of a time.*
- Old English — *hwæl*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | whale | A whale. |
| Plural | whales | Whales. |
| Verb | whale | Whaling. |
| Group | pod | A pod. |
| Old English | hwæl | A whale. |
- A pod of whales passed the boat.Animals.
- The blue whale reaches thirty metres.Size.
- Its closest relative is the hippo.Evolution.
Whale facts
- Blue whales outsize every known dinosaur
- They evolved from land mammals about fifty million years ago
- The hippopotamus is their closest living relative
- Baleen whales filter feed, toothed whales hunt
- Whale song can travel hundreds of kilometres through water
Old English *hwæl*, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch *walvis* and German *Wal*.
Is the blue whale bigger than any dinosaur?
Yes. No dinosaur known from the fossil record approaches its mass, though a few were comparable in length.
What is a whale's closest living relative?
The hippopotamus. Whales descend from land mammals that returned to the sea around fifty million years ago.