Prehistoric biting sperm whale

 Here are some of the most important prehistoric sperm whale species (family Physeteroidea), including giant apex predators and deep-diving squid hunters:

🦷 

Livyatan melvillei

• Lived: ~13–12 million years ago (Miocene)
• Length: ~45–57 ft (13–17 m)
• Notable for: Massive skull and huge teeth in both upper and lower jaws
• Role: Apex predator that likely hunted large whales
• Named after the biblical Leviathan and author Herman Melville

👉 Often considered the main rival of megalodon.

🐋 

Zygophyseter varolai

• Lived: ~10 million years ago
• Found in: Italy
• Nickname: “Killer sperm whale”
• Had robust teeth for actively hunting marine mammals

🦴 

Acrophyseter deinodon

• Lived: ~14–13 million years ago
• Found in: Peru
• Smaller than Livyatan but built for predation
• Likely hunted seals, dolphins, and smaller whales

🌊 

Brygmophyseter shigensis

• Lived: ~15 million years ago
• Found in: Japan
• Strong teeth in both jaws
• Likely an active predator

🐙 Early relatives of modern sperm whales

These were more squid-focused and closer to today’s species:

Aulophyseter

• Lived: Miocene
• Smaller and more similar to modern sperm whales

🐋 Modern comparison

Today, the only surviving large species is the:

• Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Modern sperm whales mainly hunt giant squid and do not have large functional teeth in the upper jaw — unlike their prehistoric predatory relatives.

🔥 Fun Fact

During the Miocene (about 23–5 million years ago), oceans were filled with:

• Giant sharks (like megalodon)
• Giant predatory sperm whales (like Livyatan)
• Large early baleen whales

It was basically the most intense predator era in ocean history.

If you’d like, I can:

• Rank them by size
• Compare Livyatan vs megalodon
• Or explain why most of the giant predatory sperm whales went extinct 🌊