Jurassic Pliosaur Liopleurodon Revisited: Not the 25-Meter Giant It Was Made Out to Be

New analysis of 37 Liopleurodon ferox specimens finds total body lengths of about 2.5–8.1 m, clustering around 5 m, with a skull about 24% of skeletal length—meaning Liopleurodon was a large apex predator but far smaller than the 25 m figure popularized by media. The study also notes indeterminate Oxford Clay pliosaurs that could reach 7–12 m, suggesting some giants swam with Liopleurodon in the Middle Jurassic. Published online July 16, 2026 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.