Berkeley's Earthstar vs blue whale

Geastrum berkeleyi compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Key Differences

Berkeley's Earthstar is Extinct while blue whale is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Berkeley's Earthstar	blue whale
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Geastrales (Geastrales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Geastraceae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Geastrum	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Geastrum berkeleyi	Balaenoptera musculus

Conservation Status

Berkeley's Earthstar

EX — Extinct

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Berkeley's Earthstar	blue whale
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Berkeley's Earthstar

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

blue whale

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Berkeley's Earthstar

The Berkeley's Earthstar (Geastrum berkeleyi) is a species in the genus Geastrum. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

blue whale

The largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth, blue whales can reach 33 meters and 200 tonnes — their hearts alone weigh as much as a small car. Found in all oceans, they migrate between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding areas. Filter feeders consuming up to 4 tonnes of krill daily. Endangered, with global populations estimated at 10,000–25,000 after near-extinction from 20th-century whaling.