Who Would Win In A Fight?
The megalodon and the mosasaurs are massive apex predators of the old seas. They would never have met each other as they lived 50 million years apart. Towards the end of the Cretaceous time, large aquatic creatures such as the mosasaurs became extinct. This gave a chance to the megalodon to evolve and come into being.
The megalodon became extinct several million years ago. It was the biggest shark to ever exist in the oceans and was known as the largest fish to ever be recorded. ‘Carcharocles megalodon’ is the scientific name of this animal, which means ‘giant tooth.’ This shark had teeth that were 3 times the size of the teeth found in the great white shark.
When it comes to mosasaurs, its name was taken from the Latin word ‘Mosa,’ which stands for the Meuse River. While the latter half of the name ‘Sauros’ is Greek for lizard. Some of its characteristics include a hydrodynamic build, a head similar to an alligator, and a fin at the end of its tail.
Size And Body Description
Thanks to a handful of vertebrae and lots of fossil teeth, the megalodon was discovered. It is the largest fish to ever exist so far. The shape of its tooth is similar to that of the modern great white shark, which shows that both sharks could be close relatives. Plus, the megalodon is considered to be a bulky and torpedo-shaped fish that has large dorsal and pectoral fins, a conical snout, and a robust tail that’s shaped like a crescent.
According to this data, an adult megalodon is said to be 10.2 m (33.5 feet) in length. The biggest specimen ever to be recorded was 17.9 m (58.7 feet) long. Some scientists believe that the largest specimen might have been up to 25 m (82 feet) long. Moreover, the adult body mass of this animal is said to be between 30 metric tons (66,000 pounds) and over 65 tons (143,000 pounds). The females are heavier and longer as compared to the males.
When it comes to their teeth size, the largest recorded was 17.8 cm (6.9 inches) in length. The megalodon was a fierce aquatic animal. It was longer than a regular semi-truck trailer and weighed as much as two elephants. Its long jaws were filled with hundreds of sharp teeth that would tear through whatever it wanted to eat.
The Mosasaurs, on the other hand, had sleek bodies and flippers, which allowed them to easily sail through high-speed waters. Currently, paleontologists don’t know the exact swimming speed of these animals, but they assume it was very fast for their size.
Range and Environment
During their lives, the megalodons resided in the oceans. They could be found all over the world in inhabitable areas, except in the Antarctic and the Arctic which consisted of frigid waters. According to scientists, these animals changed their range as they grew in size. However, they couldn’t tell if these animals were ever a part of a migration or any other large movements. It is unclear what type of habitats the megalodon preferred. However, scientists discovered their teeth in tropical and temperate waters, similar to several of the other shark species.
Moreover, scientists estimated the depths in which these sharks lived. The adults were so massive in size, that they couldn’t live in shallow coastal areas. Hence, they resided in the open ocean, offshore.
Mosasaurs, on the other hand, lived during the Cretaceous period. They inhabited North America and were found in Europe. The fossils of this creature were discovered in various locations such as South Dakota, Nebraska, and Centre-Loire Valley in France. The mosasaurs lived in the North Atlantic Ocean, close to the water surface as it breathed air as well, just like whales.
Diet And Nutrition
Megalodons were known as frightening predators. They consumed a wide variety of animals since they were the biggest predators of that time. Some of their prey included animals like seals, baleen, toothed whales, sea turtles, and sea cows.
They also fed on other fish and sharks. A lot of the whale fossils were discovered to have prominent gashes on them, which were caused by a megalodon tooth. There were times when these whale fossils were discovered with a megalodon tooth already embedded in them.
According to certain scientific calculations, a megalodon bite would result in a force that’s up to 40,000 pounds, making it the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom. Because of their teeth marks, scientists were able to guess the feeding pattern of the megalodon. These patterns show that the megalodon attacked larger prey, such as small whales, by using their teeth.
They would attack its chest as their teeth would penetrate the tough ribs of the whales. Moreover, they attacked smaller prey by using their snouts and stunning them before they bite them.
When it comes to their diet the mosasaurs ate whatever they wanted or found really. On the other hand, paleontologists claim that the mosasaurs’ diet mostly consisted of shellfish, squids, and other fish. They didn’t feed on sharks though.
Reproduction And Behavior
It is difficult to explain the exact reproductive stages of megalodons, however, scientists have discovered certain estimations of their life. The females gave birth to their offspring in nursery sites, where they would be safe from predators. Similar to other sharks, baby megalodons are capable and self-sufficient enough to hunt soon after being born.
The mosasaurs, however, probably did not drag themselves onto a beach to lay their eggs, just like how sea turtles reproduce. Other prehistoric swimmers, such as the ichthyosaurs, were discovered in the form of fossils while they were giving birth. Moreover, other modern relatives of the mosasaurs, such as certain snake species and monitor lizards, are also known for skipping the eggs.
So who would win if a megalodon and mosasaurs came face to face?
It will most probably be the megalodon and here’s why:
The mosasaurs’ body is long and thin with jaws that were created to hunt smaller prey like fish and ammonites. On the other hand, the megalodon had a massive body plus very big jaws that were created to feed on whales plus other large marine mammals.
The mosasaurs will most likely be unable to bite through the thick body of a megalodon, which can end the fight with just one large bite of its jaws.
Moreover, the megalodon can easily maneuver itself around the mosasaurs with its high-speed swimming, hence this is another advantage that the megalodon has over the mosasaurs.