Livyatan fossil map
Where fossils of Livyatan have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 5 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Ice Age & later mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04–3.6 million years ago (Aquitanian to Zanclean) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Named by | Lambert et al. 2010 |
| Fossil records | 6 occurrences at 6 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | South Africa, Peru, Argentina, Chile, United States |
| Rock formations | Pisco, Saladar, Alexander Bay, Bahía Inglesa, Capistrano, Varswater |
About Livyatan
Livyatan is an extinct genus of macroraptorial sperm whale, containing one known 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 novel Moby-Dick about a white bull sperm whale. Herman Melville often referred to whales as "Leviathans" in his book. It is mainly known from the Pisco Formation of Peru during the Tortonian stage of the Miocene epoch, about 8.9–9.9 million years ago (mya); however, finds of isolated teeth from other locations such as Chile, Argentina, the United States (California), South Africa and Australia imply that either it or a close relative survived into the Pliocene, around 5 mya, and may have had a global presence.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Livyatan (revision 1381133500), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q131759.
