Heaviest animal ever? Scientists discover massive ancient whale

Look out, blue whale -- there's a new contender for your heavyweight title. The modern blue whale has long been considered the largest and heaviest animal ever, beating out all the giant dinosaurs of the distant past. But Perucetus colossus -- the colossal whale from Peru -- may have been even heavier, according to a study published in the journal Nature. The biggest blue whale ever recorded weighed 190 tonnes, according to Guinness World Records. "This is -- for sure -- the heaviest skeleton of any mammal known to date," as well as any aquatic animal, Amson said.