Diamantina zone: A 5.3-million-year-old whale graveyard has been uncovered on the floor of the Indian Ocean, offering new insights into deep-sea ecosystems. The discovery was made by a team led by Xiaotong Peng from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Diamantina Zone, one of the deepest whale-fall ecosystems in the world.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the site dates back over 5 million years and was found during a dive mission in February 2023 using a submersible called the Fendouzhe. The team of scientists discovered extensive whale skeletons and fossils partially buried in sediment on the seafloor. After the initial discovery, the team conducted 32 more dives to map the necropolis, which stretched 1,200 kilometers along the seafloor at depths between 4,200 and 7,000 meters.

The site contained 476 whale fossils and five active whale falls, which were teeming with various creatures, including jellyfish, brittle stars, and bone-boring worms. These organisms could potentially be new to science. From 43 fossils recovered, the team identified five beaked whale species, along with one baleen whale species. The largest find was a dead Antarctic minke whale, 5 meters in length.

Isotopic dating revealed that the oldest fossils are about 5.3 million years old. The researchers suggest the graveyard formed due to the V-shaped topography of the Diamantina Zone, which funnels carcasses onto the seafloor, and the presence of deep-diving beaked whale species in the area.

This discovery enhances our understanding of whale falls and the ecosystems they support, offering an evolutionary window into the history of beaked whales. It also serves as a reminder of the vast unknowns of the deep sea and the potential for new discoveries.