Otodontidae

Otodontidae is an extinct family of sharks belonging to the order Lamniformes. Its members have been described as megatoothed sharks.^[1][2] They lived from the Early Cretaceous to the Pliocene, and included genera such as Otodus, including the giant megalodon.^[3] 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.^[4] The genus Cretalamna which lived from the mid-Cretaceous-Paleogene is believed to be directly ancestral to Otodus, and thus to megalodon.^[5]

Otodontidae Temporal range: Albian-Pleistocene ~115–1.1 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Teeth and jaws of Cretalamna hattini
Three otodontid species, from left to right there is Cretalamna, Otodus obliquus and Otodus megalodon
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Division:	Selachii
Order:	Lamniformes
Superfamily:	Lamnoidea
Family:	†Otodontidae Gluckman 1964
Genera
Cretalamna Kenolamna Megalolamna Otodus Palaeocarcharodon Parotodus?

There are certain dubious species of Otodontidae included species where teeth are not properly described, such as Otodus debrayi, Otodus stromeri, Otodus rondelettiformis, and Otodus hastalis. These dubious species are considered to be synonymous or are pending reassesment of their validity.^[6][7]

Phylogeny

Lamniformes	Mitsukurinidae Alopiidae Odontaspididae Pseudocarchariidae Megachasmidae Carchariidae Cetorhinidae †Cretoxyrhinidae? Lamnoidea †Otodontidae Lamnidae