"Maybe the sperm whales had some reserve of fat or there was the tongue . and grow to 26 feet (7.9 meters) in length. They have long, slender bodies. Megalodon vs Sperm Whale: Who Would Win in a Fight? But, Im going to assume they are at least comparable to Great Whites. The team added that while it's possible the megatoothed shark was scavenging an already-dead sperm whale, it's more likely that that gouge marks were made during a predatory attack. What Size is Regular Printer Paper? "Although there are limitations to what we can claim, and we want the evidence to speak for itself.". Wait till you get the measurements of these beasts. The Megalodon shark is certainly more agile and faster over long periods of time. The same can be said of a fight between a Megalodon and a Blue Whale. How would the largest shark that ever lived compare with the largest mammal known to have lived on earth? Blue whales swim speed is 5 mph (8 kph). Megalodon is a whole different animal than modern day whales. The largest Megalodon tooth ever discovered was about the length of a TV remote (see also . My passion is Geography, and I've always been curious about how countries compare to one another in size, shape, climate, etc Megalodon vs. Blue Whale: Size Comparison, Megalodon vs. Blue Whale: Weight Comparison. On average, blue whales weigh between 110 to 200 tons. "These marine waters teemed with abundant sea life.". The scant remains of what was likely a 13-foot (4 meters) whale, dating to about 15 million years ago, were initially discovered by Mike Ellwood, a Calvert Marine Museum volunteer and fossil collector. Megalodon vs. Blue Whale: Who Would Win? - What Size Is It Manage Settings Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. The megalodon shark is a massive oceanicanimal that existedat least 28million years ago until it became extinct around 1.5 million years ago. A megalodon would struggle to catch a much smaller and swifter orca. Baleen whales do not have teeth at all. Today's sperm whales can reach lengths of over 50 feet (15 m), Godfrey noted. However, unlike other shark species that lay eggs externally, the megalodon shark appeared to give birth to its young. Blue whales generally swim alone or in pairs, but they apparently attach to another living being that spends time with them. Visual representation of Otodus megalodons predatory attack on a small whale, with possible origin of the crushed vertebra. When they exhale, a cloud of pressurized air is sent as much as 30 feet (9 meters) up in the air. You read that right! Godfrey suspected that he might learn more by looking inside the damaged vertebrae with CT scans, and a local hospital offered to help assess the fossil with modern medical imaging techniques. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Mysterious 'zombie planet' Halla seems to have survived the explosive death of its star. Scientists theorize that the rise of the great white shark, competition for prey, and cooling oceans, which reduced their suitable habitats, contributed to their extinction. The Blue Whales ability to call for help from miles away may be a wild card here. It is believed that Megalodons mouth was between 9-11ft in width. But Godfrey isn't ruling out alternative explanations. If they are inaccurate, well shit I guess the post should be deleted and I should be banned from the site. Megalodon vs Sperm Whale: Offensive Capabilities. Who Would Win a Fight Between Megalodon and Leviathan. Blue whales have a biting power of around 182,000 Newtons, but they rarely use their bites for feeding. Megalodon VS Kraken | Who would win?? - YouTube And then there's the megalodon tooth, found alongside the vertebrae. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Alternatively, they have a baleen sieve (plates of bone) lined with bristles through which small schools of fish and plankton are filtered. Its short bursts of 20mph speeds might not be enough. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/megalodon-vs-leviathan-who-wins-1092427. The megatoothed shark's serrated teeth left gouge marks. They also broke up into smaller populations. So, it also grows fast, gaining around 90 kgs. If the famed Megalodon still existed today, how would it fare with the Blue Whale? If youre a fan, youve already witnessed our megalodon vs. mosasaur episode. And while it is possible that a Miocene megalodon may have simply shed its old tooth while swimming over a long-dead whale carcass, or lost it while hunting an injured whale and feeding on its remains, it is tempting to reconstruct a scene in which the apex predator of the day blunted and ultimately lost its tooth while dealing the compression fracture itself. Vision is close, but the edge goes to the Megalodon. Bite Force, Teeth, and Jaw Size That's because the cut marks were made on the root of the tooth, or the part that was embedded in the whale's jaw. One of these giants was the megalodon. Trilobites of the Wheeler Shale Formation. As its mother suckles it in the water, it can consume over 158 gallons (600 liters) of mothers milk every day during its first year. Then, there were also now-extinct killer sperm whales which grew as large as Megalodons and had bigger teeth. And what if, despite its best efforts at the outset of battle, it didn't succeed in quickly shearing off its adversary's fins? https://www.fossilera.com/pages/megalodon-size. During a high-energy breach with prey between its jaws, he explained, the megalodon could have easily flexed the whale's backbone against gravity with enough force to create the observed injuries. A quick google search points to some evidence that great white sharks are smart animals. "It would seem unlikely that a large shark would target the jaws of a floating or seafloor carcass of a sperm whale. Euclid space telescope launches this week. So were going to mix legend with fact and model our kraken on squids and octopuses.Besides, the kraken wouldnt have to be as large as an island to be a worthy opponent. One of these giants was the. Smell goes to the Megalodon, giving it the edge on hunting down a Blue Whale from afar. Megalodons were apex predators with powerful offensive capabilities, including large jaws, sharp teeth, and a strong sense of smell. We take a look at Megalodon vs Orca who will win? Due to its enormous bite force, the megalodon is a very effective killer. Although Megalodon ("giant tooth") was only named in 1835, thisprehistoric sharkwas known for hundreds of years before that, as its fossilized teeth were prized as "tongue stones" by avid collectors who didn't realize what they were trading in. But as compelling as the megalodon hypothesis may be, other factors could have fractured the whale's vertebrae millions of years ago. The orca pod can wear out the Megalodon with head rams and attacking its unprotected gills. It is believed that this beast had an acute smell, impressive vision (especially in low light scenarios), and strong hearing. The somewhat sleeker, faster, and more muscular Megalodon pokes, wriggles and dives around Leviathan, nipping yard-long chunks out of its dorsal and tail fins but not managing to land that one killer blow. Megalodon Vs Orca who will win? Killer whales, apex predators in today's oceans, are known to eat the meaty tongues and blubbery throats of other whales. From research and evidence collected on this species, it appears that these sharks were known for hunting a variety of Cetacea and were considered the apex predators of their time. The megalodon, the big boss of our ancient oceans, the king of all sharks, killer of whales. Not only is the Megalodon the biggest shark in the world, but its also one of the largest fish to have ever existed. Blue whales are heavier than Megalodons, with an average weight ranging from 110 to 200 tons, while Megalodons averaged only 50 tons. In the Near Corner: Leviathan, the Giant Sperm Whale, In the Far Corner: Megalodon, the Monster Shark. If the Megalodon Shark were alive today, it is doubtful that any whale or dolphin would be much of a threat or challenge to these animals, except perhaps the killer whale. 2. O. megalodonis adapted to warm tropical and subtropical regions. Discovered in Peru in 2008, the 10-foot-long skull of Leviathan testifies to a truly enormous prehistoric whale that plied the coasts of South America about 12 million years ago, during the Miocene epoch. Size Comparison First, there's the issue of size. Aspartame to be declared 'possible carcinogen' by WHO. The scientists also discovered that the membrane surrounding the bone, known as the periosteum, had produced new bone after the injury. All rights reserved. The Blue Whale, by contrast, has no or little sense of smell, and can see clearly up to about 35 feet underwater. "None of the other fossil sharks known from the phosphate mine have teeth large enough and serrations even enough to have left these bite traces on the sperm whale tooth," Godfrey wrote in the email. You can hear their hearts beat from as far as 2 miles away. Megalodon's mortal attack on sperm whale revealed in ancient tooth Its pretty obvious that the Blue Whale is the bigger apex predator in this fight. Someinteresting factsabout the Megalodon: The extinction of the Megalodon around 3.6 million years agocoincideswith the rise of the great white shark, so scientists theorize that the smaller but nimbler great white shark had something to do with it. Stealthily, it would stalk the kraken. Interest in the extinct Megalodon has been revived lately when a British 6-year-old boy,Sammy Shelton, found a 4-inch (10 cm. Megalodons are massive fish with a torpedo-shaped body, a tail that undulates side-to-side, and massive jaws with teeth on the top and bottom, but sperm whales are dark gray mammals with large teeth on their bottom jaw, long bodies, rounded heads, and a tail that moves up and down to propel them. - Quora Answer (1 of 5): One on one, the Megalodon. Scientists estimate that it grew to 49 feet to 59 feet (15 meters to 18 meters) in length triple the length of the largest recorded great white shark. Although the blue whale has the advantage over the Megalodon in terms of physical features like size and weight and even swim speed, the Megalodon has the superior advantage over the blue whale in terms of natural predatory instincts and feeding behavior. This monster is even larger at 39 m (129 ft) long, three times the size of the largest giant squid. Why? A newborn blue whale is anything but a baby in size it can weigh as much as 2.98 tons (2,980 kgs.) There is a reason why boxing, wrestling, and UFC fighters compete in weight classes. Controversial 'vaginal seeding' shows promise in small trial, but questions remain, Enigmatic Anglo-Saxon ivory rings discovered in elite burials came from African elephants 4,000 miles away, Get an iPad for just $279 with this Amazon deal, Watch rare footage of a shapeshifting eel with 'remarkably full tummy' swimming in the deep sea, Men hunt and women gather? Skim feeding involves locating a cluster of zooplankton prey and swimming through it with the mouth open. The study was published online Aug. 9 in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. Who Wins on Size? These animals were noteworthy competitors because they appeared to have traveled in groups or pods and were pretty mobile. Killer whales, apex predators in today's oceans, are known to eat the meaty tongues and blubbery throats of other whales. As with the squalodon, the killer whale hunts with its pod and uses echolocation. They were hunted almost up to extinction until they were protected starting in1986when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling. Megalodons jaw was lined with 276 razor-sharp serrated teeth evolutionarily designed to rip and tear through flesh. Even with theIWC banon commercial whaling, 31, 984 whales have been killed. Megalodon vs Sperm Whale: Who Would Win in a Fight? "So before the megatoothed shark tooth could cut into the sperm whale tooth, it first had to cut through the jaw bone of the sperm whale holding the tooth," Godfrey said. Solar maximum could hit us harder and sooner than we thought. But how would it fare against this mythical sea creature?Who would make the first move? In the succeeding 13 million years, it dominated the ancient oceans until it went extinct 3.6 million years ago. If anyone has any information on this, id appreciate it. Lunge feeding is using high-speed horizontal or vertical propulsion to consume large amounts of prey and water while removing the water through closed-mouth filtration. As dangerous as Megalodon's teeth wereabout seven inches long fully grownthey were no match for the even bigger, foot-long choppers of Leviathan. The killer whale is quite clever in how it can wear out faster marine mammals to the point where they cannot escape or fight back. After the dinosaurs went extinct, 65 million years ago, the biggest animals on earth were confined to the world's oceansas witness the 50-foot-long, 50-ton prehistoric sperm whaleLeviathan(also known as Livyatan) and the 50-foot-long, 50-tonMegalodon, by far the biggest shark that ever lived. Enormous size is a mixed blessing: sure, Leviathan's sheer bulk would have intimidated would-be predators, but it also would have presented many more acres of warm flesh to an especially hungry (and desperate) Megalodon. However, whales are sometimes known to travel in packs (pods) and to call for aid and assistance. Megalodon was fastest swimming shark ever and could devour an orca in 5 bites, 3D model reveals, Giant shark, possibly a megalodon, feasted on this whale 15 million years ago, Australia clears legal use of MDMA and psilocybin to treat PTSD and depression, Complete Bronze Age town with elite tombs discovered in northern China, Lost Maya city discovered deep in the jungles of Mexico. Megalodon Vs Killer Whale: Who Wins And Comparative Analysis Their meat is used for pet food, or even served to tourists as a traditional dish.. If the killer whale were to have an advantage over the Megalodon shark, it would be because these dolphins travel and hunt together in large packs and are known to use clever hunting techniques to avoid being injured while isolating and killing their prey. Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU. Whether or not these attacks resulted in the direct or indirect death of the Megalodon is unknown; however, their ability to fight as a group made them much more of an effective unit when protecting themselves from megalodon attacks. Today one of the oceans greatest predators is the orca, also known as the killer. They breed once every 3 years, and blue whale pregnancy lasts 11 to 12 months. Michael Jordan. For the sake of consistency, lets assume a pod consists of 4 males and 4 females. These two coexisted for nearly 9 million . Continue with Recommended Cookies. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Epic Battles: The Largest Shark Ever vs. A Killer Whale Pod New York, Although a blue whale has a larger mouth at 20 feet, it does not have true teeth and it has a small throat of only 4 to 8 inches. The Megalodon weighs in at upwards of 50-70 tons, measuring a span of up to 60-70 feet in length. Livyatan Livyatan Melvillei is a fairly recent discovery in the world of paleontology, first described back in 2008. Originally it was thought that these beasts could grow to lengths of up to 98 ft. Copyright 2019 Fossilicious.com. Also, as a cold-blooded shark rather than a warm-blooded mammal, Megalodon possessed a comparably smaller, more primitive brain, and was presumably less capable of thinking its way out of a tough spot, instead acting entirely on instinct. These giant sharks hunted other smaller sharks, fish, dugongs, sea turtles, and large whales as part of their primary/main diet, and it is believed that when food became scarce, they may have even hunted each other or other young megalodon sharks that were less protected and easier to capture. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. "In terms of the fossils we've seen on Calvert Cliffs, this kind of injury is exceedingly rare," he said. This is shown by how blue whales washed ashore and taken care of by humans who send them back to sea return the favor by rescuing these particular humans when they themselves are endangered in the ocean as if to say thank you. By using an equation that compares extinct sperm whale tooth size with body size, the researchers estimate this particular whale was small, only about 13 feet (4 meters) long. Because of the size of the killer whale, it does not fall prey to any other creature in the ocean. Study co-researcher Norman Riker, an amateur fossil collector from Dowell, Maryland, found the tooth in what is now called the Nutrien Aurora Phosphate mine, a large phosphate mine in Aurora, North Carolina, in the 1970s or 1980s, when the mine was open to fossil collectors. When it comes to ocean-bound apex predators, two of the most impressive to date are the mighty Megalodon and the massive Blue Whale. This is often seen when a group of killer whales hunts a fast-moving dolphin. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, While that can in many ways be advantageous, water is tough to move quickly through, and the smaller Megalodon size profile may aid in faster more agile attacks and defensive movements. There is very little chance that Megalodons intelligence will ever be known. Aside from having feelings and showing affection, blue whales have very big hearts, which can weigh as much as a mid-sized car. Blue whale females are nurturing. Strauss, Bob. Its mouth would close around the unfortunate prey, swallowing the ship whole.But ancient sailors arent exactly a reliable source of information. Killer sperm whales also hunted in groups, compared to the Megalodon which hunted alone. Prof. Ben Garrod. About | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | Copyright 2023, Books About Whales, Dolphins and Various Marine Animals, Whale Watching Information, History and Facts. Siberian cave filled with mammoth, rhino and bear bones is ancient hyena lair, The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe, Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code 'LOVE5', Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 303 cliffb90 4 yr. ago I looked into them hunting humpbacks, apparently they only hunt baby humpbacks, and a single parent's defense are known to fend them off. Blue whales are heavier than Megalodons, too.