Otodontidae

Otodontidae
Temporal range: Albian-Late Pliocene
~115–0.781 Ma
Teeth of Otodus obliquus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Chondrichthyes
Order:Lamniformes
Family:†Otodontidae
Gluckman 1964
Genera

Carcharocles
Cretolamna
Dwardius
Kenolamna
Megalolamna
Megaselachus
Otodus
Palaeocarcharodon (disputed, may be from family Cretoxyrhinidae)
Parotodus

Otodontidae is an extinct family of sharks, belonging to the order Lamniformes. They lived from the Early Cretaceous to the Pliocene, and included genera such as Carcharocles and Otodus.[1] There is the possibility that if the Carcharocles sharks derived from Otodus, then Cretolamna would belong in this group. Some species of odontids reached huge sizes, including the possible member Carcharocles megalodon. Recent studies of the newly described genus Megalolamna indicate that the members of the genus Carcharocles should be reclassified as members of the genus Otodus.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Joseph S. Nelson (2006). "Order Lamniformes". Fishes of the World (4th ed.). John Wiley and Sons. pp. 57–60. ISBN 978-0-471-25031-9.
  2. ↑ Large prehistoric shark


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