A 5.3 million-year-old whale graveyard has been found on the floor of the Indian Ocean
When a whale dies, a very special natural phenomenon can come alive. The carcass might float at the surface for some time, attracting sharks and other predators. As it becomes weathered it may start to sink, falling through the water until it eventually settles on the seafloor where deep sea scavengers feast upon it. The scientific record of “whale falls” is sparse and fragmentary. But a team of researchers, led by Xiaotong Peng from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has disco
Researchers have uncovered a significant whale graveyard on the Indian Ocean floor, dating back over 5.3 million years. The discovery, located in the Diamantina Zone, spans approximately 1,200 kilometers and contains hundreds of whale fossils, including evidence of five beaked whale species and one baleen whale species. The site also features five active "whale falls," which are whale carcasses that have sunk to the ocean floor, supporting unique deep-sea ecosystems. Scientists identified an extinct new whale species, Pterocetus diamantinae, among the recovered fossils.
This discovery provides invaluable insights into ancient deep-sea ecosystems and the behavior of whale populations millions of years ago.
📌 Kaynak
Bu özet The Conversation AU kaynağından otomatik derlenmiştir. Tamamı için orijinal habere gidin.
Orijinal haberi oku →