biology

Otodus auriculatus

Otodus auriculatus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Otodus auriculatus rather than just read about it. In short: Otodus auriculatus is an extinct species of large shark in the genus Otodus of the family Otodontidae and is a predecessor of the megalodon. The largest individuals were about 9.5 metres (31 ft) long and teeth can reach up to 130 millimetres (5.1 in).

Key takeaways

Otodus auriculatus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Otodus auriculatus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Otodus auriculatus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Otodus auriculatus is an extinct species of large shark in the genus Otodus of the family Otodontidae and is a predecessor of the megalodon. The largest individuals were about 9.5 metres (31 ft) long and teeth can reach up to 130 millimetres (5.1 in). Its teeth were the first in the genus Otodus to have both coarse serrations on the cutting edge and lateral cusplets.

Size O. auriculatus was a large lamniform shark, with the largest individuals reaching a body length of 9.5 metres (31 ft). The tooth length of O. auriculatus is relatively large - from 25 to 114 millimetres (0.98 to 4.49 in). However, it is smaller than that of megalodon and Otodus angustidens; the tooth length of O. megalodon is 38 to 178 millimetres (1.5 to 7.0 in) and O. angustidens 25 to 117 millimetres (0.98 to 4.61 in). Smaller individuals were about 4 metres (13 ft) long.

Distribution Most O. auriculatus teeth come from South Carolina and North Carolina. However, many Eocene shark teeth are known from Khouribga Plateau, in Morocco and Seymour Island, in Antarctica. Fossil teeth have also been found in the United Kingdom and Kazakhstan, and the shark enjoyed a fairly global distribution. A single tooth is known from Egypt.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Otodus auriculatus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Otodus auriculatus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Otodus auriculatus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Otodus auriculatus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Otodus auriculatus

In research: Otodus auriculatus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Otodus auriculatus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Otodus auriculatus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Eocene sharks, Fossil taxa described in 1923, Fossils of Morocco, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Otodus auriculatus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Otodus auriculatus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Otodus auriculatus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Otodus auriculatus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Otodus auriculatus in simple terms?

Why does Otodus auriculatus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Otodus auriculatus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Otodus auriculatus.