That whales like Livyatan even existed is still a relatively recent discovery.

At the same time that C. megalodon prowled the seas, there was also a sperm whale called Livyatan melvillei.

At 6m years old and approximately 5 metres long, it was a smaller ecological successor to Livyatan.

The head of Zygophyseter was not as orca-like as those of Acrophyseter and Livyatan, but instead was elongated with a very deep cranium.

The feeding choices of Livyatan -as well as the giant shark Carcharocles megalodon -may have even influenced the pattern of whale evolution.