Otodus
Also: megatooth sharks, Otodontidae
The genus of extinct "megatooth" sharks whose lineage includes Megalodon. Following Otodus from obliquus through angustidens and chubutensis shows cusplets shrinking and teeth enlarging over time.
Otodus is the genus of extinct megatooth sharks that culminates in the giant Megalodon. Over tens of millions of years this lineage produced ever-larger, more blade-like teeth, and following that progression is one of the most satisfying stories in the fossil record.
The lineage at a glance
A widely cited sequence runs from Otodus obliquus, through O. auriculatus, O. angustidens, and O. chubutensis, to O. megalodon. The earliest teeth were smooth-edged with prominent lateral cusplets; over time the cusplets shrank and vanished while serrations appeared and refined and overall size grew. Our guide to the Otodus shark lineage walks through each step.
A note on naming
The genus name is contested: some researchers place Megalodon in Otodus, while others retain the older name Carcharocles, and you will see both in the literature. We follow current usage and note the debate honestly rather than pretending it is settled. Authenticated megatooth teeth from across this lineage turn up in our collection from time to time.
Megalodon is the famous endpoint, but the whole Otodus lineage is collectible — and the cusplets tell you roughly where in the story a tooth belongs.