Macroraptorial sperm whale: Difference between revisions

[[File:Livyatan melvillei skull.jpg|thumb|Skull of ''Livyatan'']]

'''Macroraptorial sperm whales''' were highly [[predator]]y whales of the [[sperm whale superfamily]] (Physeteroidea) of the [[Miocene]] [[epoch (geology)|epoch]] that hunted large [[marine mammal]]s, including other whales, using their large teeth. They consist of five genera: ''[[Acrophyseter]]'', ''[[Albicetus]]'', ''[[Brygmophyseter]]'', ''[[Livyatan]]'', and ''[[Zygophyseter]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Peri|first1=E.|last2=Falkingham|first2=P.L.|last3=Collareta|first3=A.|last4=Bianucci|first4=G.|title=Biting in the Miocene seas: estimation of the bite force of the macroraptorial sperm whale ''Zygophyseter varolai'' using finite element analysis|year=2021|journal=Historical Biology|volume=34 |issue=10 |pages=1916–1927 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2021.1986814|doi-access=free|hdl=11568/1117056|hdl-access=free}}</ref> All species are known by at least a skull, and are informally grouped without a [[family (biology)|family]] designation. They were all likely the [[apex predator]] of their habitats, comparable to the modern day [[killer whale]] (''Orcinus orca''), and achieved great lengths, with one species–''[[Livyatan]]''–measuring about {{cvt|13.5|–|17.5|m|ft}}.