Cosmopolitodus  Cosmopolitodus is an extinct genus of sharks. Its only species is currently Cosmopolitodus hastalis, the broad-tooth mako (other common names include the extinct giant mako and broad-tooth white shark). It is an extinct mackerel shark that lived from the Miocene epoch to the Pliocene epoch. Its teeth can reach lengths up to 3.5 in (7.5 cm) and are found worldwide. It is believed to be an ancestor to the great white shark, a fact supported by the transitional species "Carcharodon hubbelli", and most likely would have been one of the major predators in its ecosystem; preying upon small whales and other mammals. "Cosmopolitodus" is derived from the Ancient Greek κοσμοπολίτης ""kosmopolítēs"" meaning "citizen of the world" and ὀδών ""odṓn"" meaning "tooth". The species name "hastalis" may be derived from the Latin word "hasta" meaning "spear". The disputed species "xiphodon" is derived from the Ancient Greek ξίφος ""xíphos"" meaning "sword" and ὀδών ""odṓn"" meaning "tooth". The taxonomy of "C. hastalis", especially the status of its genus, has a messy history and has long been subjected to debate. The initial scientific names was first given as "Oxyrhina hastalis" and "Oxyrhina xiphodon" for the narrow and broad-form variations respectively by Swiss naturalist Louis Agassiz in his 1843 paper "Recherches sur les poissons fossiles", although some indications show that he had coined the taxon as early as 1838. Throughout the early and mid 20th century, different genera and species of other lamniformes would be clumped into the two taxons as the genus "Oxyrhina" began to be used as a wastebasket taxon. Sharks previously identified as variations of "Oxyrhina hastalis" or "Oxyrhina xiphodon" included two species of extinct ancestral makos "Isurus desori" and "Isurus retroflexus", the serrated mako ("Carcharomodus escheri"), and the false-toothed mako ("Parotodus benedenii").