Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Otodus

Chondrichthyes - Lamniformes - Otodontidae

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1838Otodus Agassiz
1847Otodus Gibbes p. 198
1873Otodus Leidy p. 351
1888Otodus Davis p. 13
1902Otodus Hay p. 304
1904Otodus Eastman p. 82
1946Otodus Rapp p. 510
1963Otodus Jordan p. 599
1977Otodus Herman p. 166
1993Otodus Cvancara and Hoganson p. 9
2002Otodus Sepkoski
2013Otodus Otero et al. p. 19 figs. Fg. 4: 1-2
2014Otodus Maisch et al. p. 189
2015Otodus Reinecke and Radwanski p. 9
2016Otodus Trif et al. p. 509
2017Otodus Szabo et al.
2019Otodus Ebersole et al. p. 26

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classChondrichthyes
RankNameAuthor
subclassElasmobranchiiBonaparte 1838
infraclassEuselachii()
NeoselachiiCompagno 1977
superorderGaleomorphiiCompagno 1973
orderLamniformesBerg 1958
familyOtodontidae
genusOtodus

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. †Otodus Agassiz 1838
show all | hide all
Subg. †Otodus (Otodus) Agassiz 1838
Otodus apiculatus Agassiz 1838
hide
Invalid names: Oxyrhina enysii Davis 1888 [synonym], Oxyrhina subvexa Davis 1888 [synonym]
Otodus chubutensis Ameghino 1901
Otodus isoelicus Lawley 1876
Otodus lanceolatus Agassiz 1843
Otodus levis Gibbes 1847
Otodus macrotus Agassiz 1838
Otodus megalodon Agassiz 1835 [megalodon]
hide
Invalid names: Carcharias rectidens Agassiz 1839 [synonym], Carcharodon ferox Emmons 1858 [synonym], Carcharodon triangularis Emmons 1858 [synonym]
Otodus obliquus Agassiz 1838
Otodus recticonus Agassiz 1843
Otodus sokolovi Zhelezko and Kozlov 1999
Otodus subplicatus Agassiz 1843
Otodus tricuspis Agassiz 1843
Otodus trigonatus Agassiz 1843
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
N. Trif et al. 2016In order to make a distinction from the teeth of the great white shark from the genus Carcharodon, Jordan, Hannibal (1923) erected the new genus Carcharocles, based on the presence of lateral cusplets for the teeth of Eocene age. The original diagnose states: "Teeth similar to Carcharodon but with a distinct denticle on each side on the base of the crown of the larger teeth, the crown narrower and more recurved than in Carcharodon, edges of tooth and usually the denticles also uniformly and rather coarsely serrulate; the broad root extremely lunate in the anterior teeth." (Jordan, Hannibal 1923, p.56).
Casier (1960) was the first to recognise that the megalodon and great white shark lineages were distinct. He erected the name Procarcharodon for the serrated-toothed members of the megalodon lineage, unaware that this had already been done by Jordan, Hannibal (1923).
Cappetta (1987), in the Handbook of Paleoichthyology 3B recognised Jordan & Hannibal's priority and advocated the use of Carcharocles for all the serrated-toothed members of what we now refer to as the megalodon lineage. Glikman (1964) was the first to refer of all the teeth of "Carcharocles" with lateral cusplets to Otodus. He referred megalodon to a new genus Megaselachus. His work was largely ignored until resurrected by Zhelezko and Kozlov (1999) and Cappetta (2006, pp. 328, 343)
More recently Cappetta (2012, p.224), in the updated edition of the Handbook of Paleoichthyology, volume 3E, referred megalodon to Otodus. The lineage was divided up into three subgenera; Otodus (Otodus) for the unserrated Paleocene and early Eocene species, Otodus (Carcharocles) for the Palaeogene serrated species and Otodus (Megaselachus) for the Neogene species, including the giant species, O. megalodon.
The transitions between Otodus (Otodus) obliquus and Otodus (Carcharocles) aksuaticus and Otodus (Carcharocles) auriculatus was figured in King et al. (2013).
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marinesubp
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: nektonico
Diet: carnivoreo
Created: 2009-07-21 07:05:21
Modified: 2009-07-21 09:05:21
Source: o = order, subp = subphylum
References: Wagner 2023, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range: base of the Campanian to the top of the Waipipian or 83.60000 to 3.00000 Ma

Collections (380 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Campanian83.6 - 72.1New Zealand (South Island) O. obliquus, Lamna apiculata (101382)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0USA (North Dakota) Odontaspis macrota (84018)
Early/Lower Paleocene66.0 - 61.7USA (South Carolina) Carcharodon megalodon (152239)
Danian66.0 - 61.6USA (New Jersey) O. obliquus (26820)
Paleocene66.0 - 56.0USA (Virginia) Odontaspis macrota (84047 84049)
Paleocene66.0 - 56.0USA (Maryland) Odontaspis macrota (84052)
Paleocene66.0 - 56.0USA (New Jersey) Lamna obliqua (84051)
Paleocene66.0 - 56.0USA (Alabama) Odontaspis macrota (84011)
Cenozoic66.0 - 0.0USA (Alabama) O. obliquus (228143)
Selandian - Thanetian61.6 - 56.0Kazakhstan (Qaraghandy) O. obliquus (84553 84554)

Youngest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state PBDB collection number
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588Antigua and Barbuda (Barbuda) Carcharodon megalodon (151880)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588Angola Procarcharodon megalodon (154111)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588Argentina (Buenos Aires) Carcharocles megalodon (227411)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588Spain (Mallorca) Carcharodon megalodon (152234)
Zanclean - Piacenzian5.333 - 2.588Japan (Okinawa) Carcharodon megalodon (152398)
Zanclean - Piacenzian5.333 - 2.588USA (North Carolina) O. megalodon (219757 219778)
Opoitian - Castlecliffian5.333 - 0.34New Zealand (North Island) Carcharodon megalodon (152191)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8Mexico (Baja California Sur) Carcharodon megalodon (154118)
Waipipian3.6 - 3.0New Zealand (Hawera) Carcharodon megalodon (28039)
Late/Upper Pliocene3.6 - 2.588United Kingdom (England) Carcharocles megalodon (152481 152482 152483 152484)