Carcharodon is a genus of sharks within the family Lamnidae. The only extant member of the genus is the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Extinct members of the genus include Carcharodon caifassii and Carcharodon hubbelli. Otodus megalodon is still argued by some paleontologists (e.g. Michael D. Gottfried and Ewan Fordyce) to be a close relative of Carcharodon carcharias.[1][2] The megalodon's scientific name was originally 'Carcharodon' megalodon (belonging to the same genus as the great white shark), but more recently, the giant shark has been assigned by most scientists to either the genus Carcharocles or Otodus.
The name of the genus comes from the Greek for "sharp/jagged tooth". A genus of giant carnivorous dinosaur, with similarly shaped teeth to Carcharodon sharks was given the name Carcharodontosaurus.