Livyatan Whale Bone

Livyatan is an extinct genus of sperm whale containing one species: L. melvillei. The genus name was inspired by the biblical sea monster Leviathan, and the species name by Herman Melville, the author of the famous book Moby-Dick about a white bull sperm whale. Livyatan was one of the most fearsome predators to ever patrol the oceans. Living about 9–10 million years ago during the Miocene, this gigantic raptorial sperm whale rivaled — and likely hunted alongside or competed with — the mighty megalodon. Unlike today’s squid-eating sperm whales, Livyatan had massive, functional teeth in both its upper and lower jaws, some over a foot long, built for grabbing and tearing large prey like other whales and marine mammals. With a skull nearly 10 feet long and a bite to match, Livyatan sat at the absolute top of the marine food chain.