Video: The oceans of old
In the distant past giant cod (1.5 meters long) ruled the North Sea. Southern oceans boiled with massive pods of right whales. Gangs of 4-meter-long porpoises cavorted off the British Isles. These are but a few of the surprises turned up by an international team of marine researchers who scoured old ship logs, fishbone-littered middens, Latin and Greek verse, tax accounts, dusty legal documents, and even mounted trophies to paint a picture of oceans past. Marine scientists compiled the data as

**__Related stories:__***linkurl:Big ocean, small RNAs;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/55689/
[13th May 2009]*linkurl:Earliest fossil seal found;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/55653/
[22nd April 2009]*linkurl:Ancient eyes head for the light;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/55204/
[19th November 2008]

The Scientist ARCHIVES
Become a Member of
Meet the Author
Bob Grant
From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer.View full profile