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Otodus megalodon (/ ˈ m ɛ ɡ əl ə d ɒ n / MEG-əl-ə-don; meaning "big tooth"), commonly known as megalodon, is an extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Early Pliocene epochs.
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]
Life restoration of O. obliquus. Otodus is an extinct, cosmopolitan genus of mackerel shark which lived from the Paleocene to the Pliocene epoch. The name Otodus comes from Ancient Greek ὠτ-(ōt-, meaning "ear") and ὀδούς (odoús, meaning "tooth") – thus, "ear-shaped tooth".
Members of the group include macropredators, generally of medium-large size, including the largest macropredatory shark ever, the extinct Otodus megalodon, as well as large planktivores. [ 2 ] Although some authors have argued that the Late Jurassic Palaeocarcharias should be considered the oldest known lamniform, this is disputed.
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The authors note, however, that the fact that Megalolamna and Otodus are related is not without problems, because there is a gap in appearance of about 43 million years each. This phylogenetic positioning then requires more in-depth research on Paleogene sharks as well as in the synapomorphies definable in the different genera of otodontids. [ 1 ]
Within the Otodus lineage; O. chubutensis is the succeeding species of O. angustidens and is followed by O. megalodon. [3] In short, O. chubutensis is considered a possible ancestor of O. megalodon. [3] [8] [9] However, due to its co-existence with O. megalodon during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, it is regarded as a morpho-species. [3]
This page was last edited on 14 October 2024, at 13:12 (UTC).; Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License; additional terms may apply.