Otodontidae


Otodontidae is an extinct family of sharks belonging to the order Lamniformes. Its members have been described as megatoothed sharks. They lived from the Early Cretaceous to the Pliocene, and included genera such as Carcharocles and Otodus. There is the possibility that if the Carcharocles sharks derived from Otodus, then Cretalamna 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.