tech
Deepest and most extensive whale graveyard discovered in Indian Ocean
Some remains found in Diamantina fracture zone date back more than 5m years and reveal species and ecosystems unknown to science
TL;DR
- The largest, deepest, and most extensive whale graveyard discovered is in the south-eastern Indian Ocean.
- Fossils found date back more than 5 million years, with some sites reaching depths over 7km.
- The graveyard extends hundreds of miles and contains 485 whale fossil sites and five modern whale falls.
- The site is teeming with life, including crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and brittle stars, with many species potentially new to science.
- Researchers found fossils of extinct species, including two species of beaked whale, one named Pterocetus diamantinae.
- The discovery highlights the biodiversity of extreme environments and life's ability to adapt.
- The site may form a 'whale-fall community supercorridor' aligned along a northwest-southeast axis for 1,200km.
- The researchers used a submersible to explore the Diamantina fracture zone.