恐龍卡第 1068 張，共 2 027 張

Liopleurodon

名字的意思： “smooth-sided teeth”1

吃：肉蛇頸龍類侏羅紀中期到白堊紀早期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Liopleurodon was a huge marine reptile that swam in the Jurassic seas. It had four flippers like paddles and a long head with a short neck. It was an ambush predator that ate fish, squid, and other reptiles.1

趣味小知識：這種海生爬蟲類在海裡游泳的時候，恐龍正在陸地上走路。大家都叫牠們恐龍，但牠們其實是爬蟲類的另一個分支。

生存年代

165 到 137 百萬年前3

侏羅紀中期到白堊紀早期

化石發現地

England, France, Germany, and Russia1

長度

2.46 到 8.09 m (8.1 到 27 ft)1

最高速度

時速約 24 公里（15 英里）

游泳, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 8 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 45 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長能在 7.5 秒內游完一座大泳池（50 公尺）

Liopleurodon 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Liopleurodon 時速約 24 公里 (15 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Liopleurodon had four strong flippers that helped it accelerate quickly to catch prey.1

A study using a swimming robot showed that its four-flipper swimming style gave it great acceleration, perfect for ambushing prey.1

Fossils of Liopleurodon have been found with stomach contents including fish bones, squid hooklets, and even a reptile tooth.1

The BBC show Walking with Dinosaurs made Liopleurodon look 25 metres long, but real fossils show it was much smaller, up to about 8 metres.1

Liopleurodon could probably smell underwater by sniffing through its nostrils to find food.1

The first Liopleurodon fossil was just a single tooth, which makes it hard for scientists to tell different species apart.1

Liopleurodon 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Liopleurodon 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Liopleurodon 最常被問的問題

?How big was Liopleurodon?

Liopleurodon reached a maximum length of just over 8 metres (about 26 feet), based on the most complete fossils. Earlier claims of 25 metres were exaggerated.1 2

?Was Liopleurodon a dinosaur?

No, Liopleurodon was a marine reptile called a pliosaur, not a dinosaur. Dinosaurs lived on land.1

?What did Liopleurodon eat?

Liopleurodon ate fish, squid, and other marine reptiles. It was an ambush predator that used its four flippers to accelerate quickly and catch prey.1

?When did Liopleurodon live?

Liopleurodon lived during the Middle and Late Jurassic Period, about 166 to 155 million years ago.1

?Could Liopleurodon swim fast?

Liopleurodon was a powerful swimmer with four paddle-like flippers. A swimming robot study showed its four-flipper style gave it great acceleration, perfect for ambushing prey.1

?How did Liopleurodon get its name?

Liopleurodon means 'smooth-sided tooth' in Greek, because its teeth were smooth on the sides. The species name ferox means 'fierce' in Latin.1

?Where were Liopleurodon fossils found?

Most Liopleurodon fossils come from Europe, especially England and France. One possible fossil was also found in Mexico.1

?Why did Liopleurodon have a big head?

Liopleurodon had an unusually large skull, making up about a quarter of its total body length. This helped it tackle large prey.2

迷思破解王

迷思： Liopleurodon was a dinosaur.

真相： Liopleurodon was a plesiosaur, a marine reptile that lived in the sea, not a dinosaur.1

給恐龍專家

學名: Liopleurodon
命名者: Sauvage 18733
類群: 蛇頸龍類
科 / 演化支: Pliosauridae3
分類: Plesiosauria > Pliosauridae > Sauropterygia3
岩石的年代: 165 到 137 百萬年 (Callovian / Berriasian)3
岩層: Oxford Clay, Ornatenton, Ampthill Clay3
國家: 英國, 德國, 法國, 阿根廷3
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 13 筆3
發現: Liopleurodon was named by Sauvage in 1873 based on a tooth from France. Later, more complete skeletons were found in England and Germany.3 1
仍有爭議: Scientists are not sure if Liopleurodon pachydeirus is a separate species or just the same as Liopleurodon ferox.1