Sperm whale fossil has the biggest whale bite ever seen.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Lambert, O. et al. Nature 466, 105-108 (2010).
Related links
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fang, J. Call me Leviathan melvillei . Nature (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2010.322
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2010.322
![Nature Briefing](data:image/svg+xml;charset="UTF-8";base64,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){kind=small}
Samael Fromstein
I would add the fact that levithan could have been the cause for the decline of megalodon one went extinct after the rise of the other and it was the ability to blow the megaldons organs up from the inside with sonar that I bring this assumption .