Post by Apex on Dec 20, 2019 3:26:49 GMT 5
Sorry to interrupt this thread
But it's been a while since I've read up on prehistoric macro predators so I'm a bit out of the loop
Just a few questions
What was the currently largest estimated pliosaur and how big was it? (I still remember the 25m liopleurodon estimate haha)
I heard something about some large macropredatory ichthyosaurs bigger than even the pliosaur, is that true?
Is that skull from the allegedly 25m long sperm whale valid or has it been debunked again?
theworldofanimals.proboards.com/post/32366
That’s more likely a ~21 m sperm whale. 25 m is very unlikely for this specimen.
The currently largest pliosaur depends on what you consider valid.
The Oxford mandible would be the largest substantial specimen if its size were legit, but it has been severely called into question on the grounds of likely being restored too big. There is a very large mandibular symphysis in the NHMUK that might come from something similarly large or even larger, but that is a fairly small fragment and its taxonomic assignment uncertain (whether we get exceptional size estimates for it heavily depends on the analogue and the metric used for comparison). There is the peterborough vertebra, which also may have been from a larger specimen, but it’s not even confirmed that it’s a pliosaur and not a sauropod (would help if someone bothered to figure and properly describe it).
The Monster of Aramberri appears to be the largest definite pliosaur in terms of vertebral diameter, but once again that is a small and rather unreliable metric to scale it on (but the specimen is rather substantial, so if the teams working on it can sort out their difficulties we will at some point have a more exact idea of its size). Apart from that, Sachicasaurus (holding the distinction of having the largest complete skull of any pliosaur), Kronosaurus and Pliosaurus funkei/macromerus, all likely around 10-11 m long and about that many tons in weight.
And yes, there are macropredatory ichthyosaurs that grew bigger than these pliosaurs, at least two, Himalayasaurus tibetensis (which is essentially the same size as Shonisaurus popularis) and an unnamed lower Jurassic probable Temnodontosaurid from Europe.
thank you so much for the info theropod