Liopleurodon and Megalodon were the apex predators of their time. These two carnivores lived over 100 million years apart but were fierce. In the battle of Liopleurodon vs. Megalodon, Meg’s size gave the shark a huge advantage.
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Battle Facts about Liopleurodon vs. Megalodon
| Name | Liopleurodon (Liopleurodon ferox) | Megalodon (Otodus megalodon) |
| Size | 16-23 feet long, 2,200-3,700 pounds | 52-67 feet long, 53 tonnes (over 100,000 pounds!) |
| Speed | 20-25 mph | 20-25 mph |
| Offense | Bite force of 7,700 pounds, maneuverability | Bite force of 24,000-40,000 pounds |
| Defense | Great sense of smell to find enemies and food | Strong sense of smell, hearing, and great vision |
| Endurance and Behavior | Could stay underwater for miles but had to breathe air | Ambushed predators, had gills |
The winner might seem obvious when you put Megalodon vs. Liopleurodon. After all, Lio was the size of a Great White Shark, and Meg was almost as big as the massive Mosasaurus.
But Meg moved through the water like any other shark, while Lio’s flippers and agile body gave it the flexibility of a seal.
Megalodon vs. Liopleurodon: Who was Bigger?
Megalodon was a lot bigger than Liopleurodon. At 52-67 feet, Meg was more than two times the size of Lio! The Megalodon also weighed over 100,000 pounds, and Liopleurodon only weighed 3,700.
Megalodon’s size didn’t always help the prehistoric shark. Because Meg weighed so much, it could only reach top speeds for a few minutes. Lio was much lighter and could swim fast for longer than Meg. Since both had a top speed of 25 mph, this made a huge difference for the smaller Liopleurodon.
Was the Megalodon Stronger than a Liopleurodon?
Megalodon was stronger than Liopleurodon, especially when it came to bite force.
The strength of a Megalodon’s bite is estimated to be 24,000-40,000 pounds! That’s more than twice as strong as a T-rex’s bite force of 12,800 pounds.
Liopleurodon’s bite force was about 7,700 pounds. That’s still really strong, but not stronger than Megalodon. Megalodon and Liopleurodon had a much stronger bite force than humans at only 160 pounds!
What Were the Differences between a Megalodon and a Liopleurodon?
Megalodon was a shark, and Liopleurodon was a marine reptile. This means Liopleurodon lived in the ocean but breathed air like a crocodile.
Megalodon and Liopleurodon also came from different periods. Lio was from the Jurassic period (166-155 million years ago). Megalodon lived long after dinos of the Cretaceous period were extinct (20-3.6 million years ago).
Who Was Faster, the Liopleurodon or the Megalodon?
Megalodon and Liopleurodon both moved around 20-25 mph.
This was where Meg’s massive size was not an advantage. It took a lot of energy to keep speeds up, so Meg only had short bursts of speed used to hunt prey.
Liopleurodon was much lighter. Lio’s flippers and paddle-like tail made moving through the water easier. Lio could keep speeds up to 25 mph for a lot longer than the heavy Megalodon could.
Why did Megalodon go Extinct?
Megalodon went extinct during a mass extinction event 2.6 million years ago.
Scientists believe that event was caused by the explosion of a Supernova (or two!) about 160 light years from Earth. This event was called the Pliocene marine megafauna extinction.
Which dino was the Megalodon’s competitor?
On the other hand, Megalodon competed with the humongous raptor whale Livyatan for food.
But even though Livyatan was the only animal that could eat Megalodon, Livyatan went extinct 5 million years ago. That’s around 2.5 million years before Megalodon went extinct.
Why did Liopleurodon go Extinct?
Liopleurodon went extinct because larger carnivores outcompeted it for food.
Some paleontologists believe that Lio lived as late as 150 years ago when Mosasaurs and larger Plesiosaurs like Predator X appeared. The smaller Liopleurodon had to fight for food and eventually died out.
Later Plesiosaurs and Pliosaurs like Kronosaurus were much bigger than Liopleurodon. Kronosaurus was about 40 feet long, similar to Mosasaurs like Tylosaurus and Mosasaurus. During this time, being bigger made a huge difference.
Megalodon vs. Liopleurodon: Who Would Win the Battle?
Megalodon would win most battles based on size and bite force alone.
Meg was massive, with a mouth full of large teeth. The largest teeth Megalodon had were about 7 inches!
Liopleurodon had some advantages that might help it escape the mighty Megalodon. Lio had an excellent sense of smell and could tell when predators were too close. Lio was also good at defensive swimming.
Megalodon would win most battles if Liopleurodon didn’t smell Meg coming. If Lio could get a head start, the long-distance swimmer could out-race Meg until the shark gave up.
With a bite force stronger than Tyrannosaurus rex and Meg’s massive size, Lio couldn’t do much in defense. Still, Liopleurodon could have survived using some of its adaptations like flippers, endurance, and sense of smell.