Otodontidae

Otodontidae
Temporal range: Paleocene–Pleistocene
Teeth of Otodus obliquus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Selachimorpha
Order: Lamniformes
Family: †Otodontidae
Gluckman, 1964
Genera

Carcharocles
Cretolamna (disputed, may be from family Cretoxyrhinidae)
Dwardius
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 Late Cretaceous to the Pleistocene, 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 megalodon. Recent studies the newly described genus Megalolamna indicate that the members of the genus Carcharocles should be reclassified as members of the Otodus genus.[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. ↑ http://phys.org/news/2016-10-large-prehistoric-shark.html


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