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The Conversation USA

Why are whales big, but not bigger?

  • Written by Matthew Savoca, Postdoctoral researcher, Stanford University
Minke whale.Jeremy Goldbogen, CC BY-ND

Both toothed and baleen (filter-feeding) whales are among the largest animals ever to exist. Blue whales, which measure up to 100 feet (30 meters) long and can weigh over 150 tons, are the largest animals in the history of life on Earth.

Although whales have existed on this planet for some 50 million years,...

Read more: Why are whales big, but not bigger?

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