Prehistoric Fossil Labeled As A Walrus Is Actually A Sperm Whale
- 8 years ago
The 300-pound, roughly 15-million-year-old skull fossil originally identified as an extinct walrus has been reclassified as a prehistoric sperm whale.
Museums display myriad wonders from days long past, but many also have a stash of fascinating objects in storage.
Scientists pulled one such item from the research collection of Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History for further study, and discovered an entirely new sort of prehistoric sperm whale.
The 300-pound skull fossil, which is about 15 million years old, was last classified in the mid-1920s.
Due in large part to the enormous teeth found within, the animal was designat
Museums display myriad wonders from days long past, but many also have a stash of fascinating objects in storage.
Scientists pulled one such item from the research collection of Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History for further study, and discovered an entirely new sort of prehistoric sperm whale.
The 300-pound skull fossil, which is about 15 million years old, was last classified in the mid-1920s.
Due in large part to the enormous teeth found within, the animal was designat