BTW, for those of you who are convinced that the use of “biggest” in a headline represents the dumbing down of journalism or signals the "Downfall of Western Civilization"TM, you may (or may not) be interested in knowing that “biggest” has been used in newspaper headlines for a very long time, including the following:
1965 The Australian: Biggest Tank Battle Since World War II
1963 Gainesville (FL) Sun: Gators Shock 'Bama for Biggest Win in History
1960 Daily Mirror (UK): Britain’s Biggest Hold-Up (about a traffic jam)
1944 Ludington (MI) Daily News: Biggest Crusade in History Opens (about D-Day)
1912 Topeka (KS) Capital Journal: Biggest Steamer Hits an Iceberg (Titanic)
That’s just a few that I found in a couple of quick searches. I’m sure there are many, many other examples. What the Mercury News did has plenty of journalistic precedent and really shouldn’t be attributed to “slipping standards.”
I disagree. The headline did not say “biggest mammal” it said “biggest mammals.”
There are mammals which are bigger than any other mammals. That group comprises the biggest mammals.
What is the biggest city in the United States? Now, what are the biggest** cities** in the United States. Who’s the richest person in the world? Who are the richest people in the world?
Those doesn’t ring my “not quite right” bell like the headline in the OP did, except the last one. For an event, I think “big” is perfectly appropriate, and sounds better than “large”. Same with “idea”. We might talk about “big ideas”, but “large ideas” sounds wrong.
Yeah, that’s my read, too. “Biggest mammals” sounds fine to me, too, just in the same way as your examples sound fine. That seems to be the normal way of expressing this sort of idea.
“Big” and “Large” are worse that “Biggest” in that they are less specific and more open to incorrect interpretation. What’s a large mammal? A cow? A horse? In veterinary practice they are definitely large animals, but I doubt they are on the path to extinction.
OTOH, “biggest mammals” implies (to me) elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, and probably whales. It’s more understandable, more specific, and more likely to make me read the article to see exactly what species are included.
The problem isn’t helped by the singular and plural of species being the same. If there was a unique plural form then “Largest Species of Mammals Face Extinction” could be a better headline.