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From Bite Force To Speed, Here's How T. Rex and Megalodon Compare

T. rex and Megalodon dominated their ecosystems, but which was one was more fierce? Paleontologists explore how size, speed, and bite force compare between these ancient mega-predators.

Sara Novak
BySara Novak
Credit: FOTOKITA/Shutterstock

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Tyrannosaurus rex and Megalodon didn’t live at the same time, and even more, one lived on land and the other in the ocean. But nonetheless, they both ruled their ecosystems at the very top of the food chain. But who was the fiercest of them all?

To answer this question, it’s best to break down each mega-hunter. Which one was the biggest, fastest, strongest, and which one survived and thrived the longest before it went extinct?

First, let’s look at the worlds in which both species lived and thrived. T. rex lived during the Cretaceous Period between 66 million years and 68 million years ago in the western U.S., in places like present-day Wyoming and Montana.

At the time, its world wasn’t nearly as dry and arid as it is today. The environment was subtropical, like the Gulf Shore of Louisiana. T. rex undoubtedly ruled its environs, noshing on everything ...

  • Sara Novak

    Sara Novak

    Sara Novak is a science journalist and contributing writer for Discover Magazine, who covers new scientific research on the climate, mental health, and paleontology.

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