Liopleurodon

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Robinson, J, A. 1975. The locomotion of plesiosaurs. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie un Paläontologie – Abhandlungen, 149, 286–332. Due to their massive size and hunting skills, it is hard to believe that Liopleurodon had any natural enemies that could hunt them for food except for other marine reptiles in their clade.

Tarlo, L. B. 1960. A review of the Upper Jurassic pliosaurs. British Museum (Natural History), Geology, 4, 145–189. McHenry (2009) suggested that the reconstruction “ may have been based upon StretosaurusTarlo, 1959″ (p.258) and added that “From vertebral counts of the different body segments and general proportions of the skull it undoubtedly represents a large pliosaurid, perhaps‘ Stretosaurus’( Pliosaurus macromerus)” (p. 370). McHenry also noted that “Tarlo… seemed to imply that the reconstruction was partly based upon the Stretham specimen…”(p.359), and subsequently refers to the reconstruction as the “‘Newman and Tarlo Stretosaurus‘ reconstruction, or the ‘ Stretosaurus’ reconstruction” (e.g. p. 370) and says the reconstruction is “ apparently based upon the Stewartby and Stretham specimens” (p. 370). I’ve bolded key parts to highlight that there’s no direct evidence for this assertion – not that I disagree with it. This made them conclude that the Liopleurodon had an average length of 16-23 feet. Gage Beasley Prehistoric’s Liopleurodon Size Comparison Chart During that time, i.e., the Jurassic period, a more substantial portion of western Europe was covered with shallow waters inhabited by plesiosaurs and pliosaurs. The first fossils of this ancient creature were discovered in 1873 in the Boulogne sur Mer region of France. Fossilized tooth of Liopleurodon | Madzia via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0Although the Liopleurodon was a giant animal, it was not as big as the Australian giant Kronosaurus, which had a maximum length of 36 feet.

McHenry, C. R. 2009. Devourer of Gods: the palaeoecology of the Cretaceous pliosaur Kronosaurus queenslandicus. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Newcastle.

We know Halstead attributed the reconstruction to Liopleurodon in 1982 (Halstead 1982), so we can be reasonably confident the reconstruction was based on material regarded by him as Liopleurodon at that time, which would have included the lectotype of ‘ Stretosaurus‘. It would also make sense for Tarlo to use the ‘Stretham Pliosaur’ specimen in the Newman & Tarlo reconstruction for two other reasons. First, he described and was intimately familiar with it (Tarlo, 1957, 1959, 1960), and second, in Tarlo’s words, “The Streatham specimen is one of the most important Pliosaur[sic] skeletons to have come out of the Kimeridge [sic][and]…most of the post-cranial skeleton can be described” (Tarlo 1959, p. 41). And, of course, the specimen certainly fulfils the criterion of “other giant pliosaur remains” as stipulated by Newman and Tarlo. Their first fossils were recovered in the 19th century, and these items have proved pivotal in knowing more about this apex predator. Knutsen, E. M. 2012. A taxonomic revision of the genus Pliosaurus (Owen, 1841a) Owen, 1841b. Norwegian Journal of Geology, 92, 259–276. It is a spectacular figure and is by far the most accurate pliosaur toy reviewed on The Dinosaur Toy Blog so far. All of the Walking with Dinosaurs figures are almost perfectly symmetrical, which is a let down in most of the figures which appear to be just ‘standing around’. However, this is not so much of an issue in the aquatic Liopleurodon. The figure is 24cm long. Characteristics: Liopleurodon belonged to a special branch of plesiosaurs called ‘pliosaurs’ that had large heads full of teeth, as shown on our Liopleurodon toy.

The full and complicated story of the ‘Stretham Pliosaur’ specimen (OXFUM J.35990) is one for another day, but in short it is a substantially complete pliosaur from the Kimmeridge Clay, named ‘ Stretosaurus‘ macromerus by Tarlo (1959) and later reattributed by him (Halstead, 1989) to Liopleurodon macromerus. The Stretham skeleton was retained as the lectotype of Pliosaurus macromerus by Knutsen (2012) but referred to Pliosaurus cf. kevani by Benson et al. (2013) – either way, it is Pliosaurus, not Liopleurodon. In addition, the animal was portrayed as mostly toothless, only possessing a crescent of curved fangs which extended from the front of the upper and lower jaws. Noè, L. F. 2001. A taxonomic and functional study of the Callovian (Middle Jurassic) Pliosauroidea (Reptilia, Sauropterygia). Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Derby. Since they did not have gills like some whales today, they go to the surface to take a huge gulp of air which can last them for over an hour in the depths of water.As the apex predators that they were, Liopleurodon had a wide variety of prey, ranging from ichthyosaurs to marine crocodiles, sharks, and other pliosaurs. Tarlo, L. B. 1959. Stretosaurus gen. nov., a giant pliosaur from the Kimmeridge Clay. Palaeontology, 2, 39-55. Although scientists once exaggerated the size of the Liopleurodon, they have now settled for a more reasonable size. After birth, baby Liopleurodon likely stayed with their mothers until they were mature enough to care for themselves. The Peking Natural Science-Art Organisation have a diverse range of detailed dinosaur toys and statues.