The Liopleurodon was a prehistoric animal that lived in the seas of what is now Europe. They had four flippers that allowed it to accelerate to around 25 miles per hour! While the Liopleurodon had a lot in common with crocodilian animals, the Liopleurodon spent its entire life in the water just like sharks do today.
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Some Quick Facts About the Liopleurodon
| Name | Liopleurodon (means “smooth-sided teeth”) |
| Type of dinosaur | Marine Reptile from the clade Pliosauroidea |
| Territory | The ocean, Europe |
| Size | Mid-size to large, 16-30 feet long, 2,200-3,700 pounds |
| Color | Dark blue, smooth skin |
| Interesting Characteristics | Four flippers, a short neck, and a flat, paddle-like tail. Teeth protruded from the front of its mouth. |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Major Threats | Other predators and climate change |
The name Liopleurodon means “smooth-sided teeth” in Ancient Greek. The name was given to this genus of prehistoric animals by Henri Emile Sauvage.
The species name ferox means “ferocious,” which suited this apex predator perfectly.
Was the Liopleurodon a Dinosaur?
No, the Liopleurodon was not a dino. Liopleurodons were a species of marine reptile that lived their life in the ocean. Marine reptiles were apex predators, chasing down prey like marine mammals and fish.
Many marine Reptiles are Plesiosaurs with broad, flat bodies, long and flexible necks, and short tails. They lived from the Late Triassic to the Late Cretaceous periods. The Plesiosaurus and Elasmosaurus were Plesiosaurs and moved through the water much like seals do today.
Pliosaurs are the short-necked subgroup of the Plesiosaurs. And the Liopleurodon is a Pliosaurus. Pliosaurs lived in the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods and had large heads, short necks, and tear-shaped bodies. Kronosaurus is another type of Pliosaurus.
Did Marine Reptiles Have Gills?
Marine reptiles did not have gills. While some prehistoric aquatic animals did have primitive gills, marine reptiles didn’t. Like crocodiles and seals, Liopleurodon could hold its breath but had to come to the surface for air. But unlike crocodiles, the Liopleurodon actually spent its entire life in the water even though it didn’t have gills.
Since reptile eggs cannot be laid in the water, a female Liopleurodon incubated her eggs inside her body until the baby hatched. Then she gave birth in shallow water.
Today, many species of venomous snakes like Copperheads give birth this way. It’s called ovoviviparous, which means to hatch an egg inside the body. The Liopleurodon had one baby at a time and paleontologists believe that the baby was very large just like baby whales!
Where Was the Liopleurodon Discovered?
The first fossils of the Liopleurodon were found in the Boulogne Sur Mer in France in 1873. In 1888, Liopleurodon teeth were discovered in the Oxford Clay formation near Peterborough, England. Even though these areas are now land masses, they used to be part of the vast ocean that covered the Earth in the Mesozoic Era.
There is still some debate about whether L. ferox and L. pachydeirus are both L. ferox with variations or two separate species. L. pachydeirus is another name for Pliosaurus pachydeirus, but there is still a lot of debate among paleontologists about where the pachydeirus belongs. Some even consider L. ferox and L. pachydeirus as synonyms for each other!
The Compsognathus, Liliensternus, Lophostropheus, and Plateosaurus fossils have all also been found in France. In fact, the French coast is so full of fossils that France’s Jurassic Coast is set to become a new national park.
how big was the Liopleurodon?
This predator was first estimated to have been around 80 feet long. After further research, scientists agreed that was an exaggerated size and it likely reached up to 30 feet when adult.
Who Was Bigger – a Mosasaurus or Liopleurodon?
The Mosasaurus was around 56-58 feet long. According to L. B. Tarlo’s estimation based on the partial fossils, the Liopleurodon was at most 23 feet long. That means that a Mosasaur was more than twice the length of a Liopleurodon!
Mosasaurs also had four flippers, but the back pair of flippers was smaller than the front pair. Because of this, paleontologists originally believed Mosasaurs were amphibious and moved around on land much like mudskippers. But after finding more complete Mosasaur remains, scientists realized that walking on land would’ve been impossible for the Mosasaur.
A Mosasaur was also faster than a Liopleurodon. Instead of a paddle-like tail similar to a beaver or a manatee, the Mosasaurus had a tail like a shark. The top of the two-lobed fin was smaller than the bottom, but a Mosasaurus could accelerate up to 35 miles per hour! A Liopleurodon’s top speed was closer to 25 miles per hour.
The Liopleurodon is one of the most fascinating marine reptiles from the Jurassic Period. With its four flippers, short neck, and flat tail, the Liopleurodon was one of the fastest aquatic predators of its time. If the Liopleurodon was alive today, it would be as big, fast, and dangerous as the great white shark!