Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni vs. Cretoxyrhina mantelli

[theropod]

dinosauria101 elosha11 May I suggest to take a look at the "largest mosasaur" and "largest marine reptile" threads? We’ve discussed more than one volumetric mass estimate for mosasaurs there.

I’ve just made one more, based on Scott Hartman’s Tylosaurus pembinensis (probably the most relevant taxon to tylosaurine specimens preyed or scavenged upon by sharks). Assuming a circular precaudal body outline, it would end up approximately 4.7 t in mass at 10 m TL. It’s probably more realistic to make it 85% of that to account for lateral flattening of the body (link→, which would make the mass around 3.9 t.

By comparison, a 10 m crocodilian based on Aureliano et al.’s equation would mass around 4.4 t. BUT: that equation is useless because it is based on mean values of taxa, not real specimens.

[elosha11]

So the mosasaurs and crocodilians probably had somewhat similar mass at similar lengths, which I suspected. Thanks theropod. dinosauria101, this would also suggest a mosasaur significantly heavier than 8 tons at 15-18 meters, assuming any this long truly existed.

Unless evidence that Cretoxyrhina could grow much larger than the 7 meters they appear to have reached, I think a 10 meter mosasaur would be too formidable for them. But not 6 to 7 meter ones, and I think the shark would have the same advantages over crocodylus.

[dinosauria101]

theropod
Yeah makes more sense. Thanks for posting it!

elosha11

Didn't you post something in another thread about Cretoxyrhina getting to over 8 meters and 3.4 tons? Let me see if I can find it

[theropod]

www.deviantart.com/carnoferox/journal/8-Meter-TL-for-Cretoxyrhina-782125594

[all]

  a 7 meter crocodile would be 2000 kg 6 meter shark 1900 kg. so 7 meter shark would probably be slightly heavier than 7 meter crocodile. 

In the fight crocodile has lots of bite force but blunt teeth. Shark has less bite force but sharp serrated teeth. Crock has armor. shark has speed. 

This is a close fight.


I would give the shark slight edge because of his speed. but for most part they are pretty evenly matched