Gargantuan Fossil

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   <default>Gargantuan Fossil</default>
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</image> <label>Age</label> <label>Status</label> <label>Biome</label> <label>Length</label> <label>Coordinates</label> <label>GoTo</label> <label>Debug Spawn</label> </infobox> The Gargantuan Fossil is an enormous and ancient fossil, approximately three million years old, found in the Bone Fields. The skeleton belonged to an eel-like Leviathan Class super-predator dwarfing both the Sea Dragon Leviathan and Sea Emperor Leviathan, despite only being around one third of the whole skeleton. The remains consist of a huge, draconic skull and sixteen pairs of huge ribs. The skeleton is covered in flora and coral. The skull is so large that a Cyclops can fit inside its jaws. Ribs identical in structure, though many times smaller can be seen in the entrance to the Lost River Junction, whilst a much smaller but otherwise identical skull can be found in the Ghost Forest, presumably from a juvenile specimen of the species. The Precursors were also studying these remains, as evidenced by small, angular indentations on the ribcage. These samples were probably studied at the Lost River Laboratory Cache, as this was the main site in which Leviathan class bone samples are found.

Size

The skeleton is enormous. The skull by itself is just under 150 meters in length, which is as long as the entire body of a Sea Dragon Leviathan. The two lower front teeth measure at 11.4 meters in height and the two upper teeth at 10.3 meters. The largest of the structures resembling eye sockets measure 9.7 meters in diameter.

The skeleton that remains (the skeleton and most of the ribs) measures at 402 meters in length, and with the PDA estimating that it is only one third of the complete specimen, the creature would likely have measured between 4,500 and 5,000 meters long (the measurements are from the Architects of the unknown mod and the first fan art of the leviathan). We can see through concept art that the gargantuan leviathan would dwarf most creature and would hunt other leviathans. Some speculations show that not only that the gargantuan leviathan hunt their own kind but they may be able to grow forever.

In Life

When this creature still roamed the planet, the sheer size of its body would likely have prevented it from surviving within the crater, as it is more than half the 2 kilometer diameter of the entire structure. As little is known of life outside of the crater, it is not clear what it could have preyed on or if the prey species still exists: the most likely living species would be the Reefback Leviathan.

They were likely very long-lived with a low reproductive rate, as a large population of these creatures would very quickly outpace the ability of prey species to repopulate.

Data Bank Entry

The fossilized remains of an extinct super predator. Its sheer size would have prohibited it from entering such an enclosed space, suggesting the geography of the planet has shifted around it over time. A true apex predator. - Dated at approximately three million years old - Rib cage measurements suggest the creature was eel-like in structure - Calculations suggest this is only the front third of the specimen - The remains now support a vibrant microcosm of life NOTE: There are a series of precise, angular indentations on the rib cage, suggesting a third party has taken samples from the specimen at a previous time.

Gallery

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  The Gargantuan Fossil

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  The miniature version of the gargantuan skull found within the Ghost Forest.

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  Head with prawn suit

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  The Gargantuan Fossil - Player, Seamoth, Prawnsuit, and Cyclops for scale

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  The Gargantuan Fossil - Player, Seamoth, Prawnsuit, and Cyclops for scale (closer up)

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  Concept art

|-| Models=

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  Model from Sketchfab

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  Highpoly model from Sketchfab

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  Older WIP model from Sketchfab

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  Models of ribs from Sketchfab

|-| Size Comparisons=

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  Gargangtuan skull size compared to Ryley, Seamoth, Prawn Suit and Cyclops

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  Entire fossil compared to Ryley, Seamoth, Prawn Suit and Cyclops

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  Theoretical whole skeleton length

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  In game models size scale - Wasabi one, Seamoth, Prawn Suit, Cyclops, Gargantuan skull, in game skeleton and theoretical whole size

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