Description
Otodus is an extinct genus of mackerel shark which lived from the Paleocene to the Miocene epoch, The name Otodus comes from Greek ὠτ (oûs “ear”) and ὀδούς, “odous (tooth)”, or “ear-shaped tooth”.
This shark is known from the fossil teeth and fossilized vertebral centra. Like other elasmobranchs, the skeleton of Otodus was composed of cartilage and not bone, resulting in relatively few preserved skeletal structures appearing within the fossil record. The teeth of this shark are large with triangular crown, smooth cutting edges, and visible cusps on the roots. Some Otodus teeth also show signs of evolving serrations.
