It has been suggested that Neotheropoda be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2024.
It has been suggested that Averostra be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2024.
Not to be confused with Pteropoda, marine gastropods.
Theropoda
Temporal range: Late Triassic – Present, 231.4–0 Ma
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Carnotaurus (a ceratosaur)
Coelophysis (a coelophysoid)
Tyrannosaurus (a tyrannosauroid)
Irritator (a megalosauroid)
Struthiomimus (an ornithomimosaur)
Archaeopteryx (a maniraptoran)
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Dinosauria
Clade:
Saurischia
Clade:
Eusaurischia
Clade:
Theropoda Marsh, 1881
Subgroups[1]
†Daemonosaurus?
†Eodromaeus
†Erythrovenator
†Tawa?
†Velocipes?
Neotheropoda
Theropoda (/θɪəˈrɒpədə/;[2] from Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon) 'wild beast', and πούς, ποδός (poús, podós) 'foot'), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally carnivorous, although a number of theropod groups evolved to become herbivores and omnivores. Theropods first appeared during the Carnian age of the late Triassic period 231.4 million years ago (Ma)[3] and included the majority of large terrestrial carnivores from the Early Jurassic until at least the close of the Cretaceous, about 66 Ma. In the Jurassic, birds evolved from small specialized coelurosaurian theropods, and are today represented by about 10,500 living species.
^Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2012). Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages, Winter 2011 Appendix.
^"Therapoda". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
^Martínez, Ricardo N.; Sereno, Paul C.; Alcober, Oscar A.; Colombi, Carina E.; Renne, Paul R.; Montañez, Isabel P.; Currie, Brian S. (2011). "A basal dinosaur from the dawn of the dinosaur era in Southwestern Pangaea". Science. 331 (6014): 206–210. Bibcode:2011Sci...331..206M. doi:10.1126/science.1198467. hdl:11336/69202. PMID 21233386. S2CID 33506648.
Theropoda (/θɪəˈrɒpədə/; from Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon) 'wild beast', and πούς, ποδός (poús, podós) 'foot'), whose members are known as theropods...
). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0. Osborn, H. F. (1924). "Three new Theropoda, Protoceratops zone, central Mongolia". American Museum Novitates (144):...
(2021). "Новый хищный динозавр (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae) из позднего мела Таджикистана" [A new theropod dinosaur (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae) from the Late...
taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography of Majungasaurus crenatissimus (Theropoda: Abelisauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar". In Sampson, Scott...
J.; Sampson, S. D. (2012). "The phylogeny of Tetanurae (Dinosauria: Theropoda)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 10 (2): 211–300. doi:10.1080/14772019...
dagger (†) is used to indicate taxa with no living members. Suborder Theropoda †Infraorder Herrerasauria †Infraorder Coelophysoidea †Infraorder Ceratosauria+...
Kirkland, J. I.; Burge, D.; Gaston, R. (1993). "A large dromaeosaurid (Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Eastern Utah". Hunteria. 2 (10): 1–16. "raptŏr...
Carabajal, Ariana (2011). "The braincase anatomy of Carnotaurus sastrei (Theropoda: Abelisauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia". Journal of Vertebrate...
Simone; Cau, Andrea (2018-12-19). "The oldest ceratosaurian (Dinosauria: Theropoda), from the Lower Jurassic of Italy, sheds light on the evolution of the...
Herrerasauridae, which he classified as saurischians, possibly within Theropoda but not in Sauropodomorpha. However, in 1977 Galton proposed that Herrerasauridae...
Hendrickx, Christophe; Mateus, Octávio (2014). "Abelisauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal and dentition-based phylogeny as a...
Mahler, Luke (March 11, 2005). "Record of Abelisauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Cenomanian of Morocco". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology....
Timeline of oviraptorosaur research Osborn, H. F. (1924). "Three new Theropoda, Protoceratops zone, central Mongolia". American Museum Novitates (144):...
were serially arrayed into the family Megalosauridae within the order Theropoda. In 1914, Friedrich von Huene separated small, lightly built forms into...
Phil (2007). "A new look at the phylogeny of coelurosauria (Dlnosauria: Theropoda)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 5 (4): 429–463. doi:10.1017/S1477201907002143...
hook-shaped process pointing up, a condition that is unique in the entirety of Theropoda. The astragalus and calcaneum, the upper ankle bones, are fused and similar...
Allosauroids and Coelurosaurs giving Cryolophosaurus a basal position in Theropoda. Closer examination of how the skull bones fused reviewed details in the...
Guangning; Huang, Zhen; Cao, Chenyun (2014). "A New Carcharodontosauria (Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Guangxi, Southern China". Acta Geologica...
A.; Ji, Q.; Gao, K. (2002). "New Specimens of Microraptor zhaoianus (Theropoda: Dromaeosauridae) from Northeastern China". American Museum Novitates...
Cuesta E, Vidal D, Ortega F, Shibata M, Sanz JL (2021). "Pelecanimimus (Theropoda: Ornithomimosauria) postcranial anatomy and the evolution of the specialized...
Alektrozavra (Tyrannosauridae, Theropoda) iz pozdnego Mela Mongolii" [On the first discovery of Alectrosaurus (Tyrannosauridae, Theropoda) in the Late Cretaceous...
Charles Marsh in 1878, which divided dinosaurs into four orders: Sauropoda, Theropoda, Ornithopoda, and Stegosauria (these names are still used today in much...
P. J. (2002). "The braincase of Giganotosaurus carolinii (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology...
analysis by Baron et al. recovered the Ornithischia as being closer to the Theropoda than the Sauropodomorpha, as opposed to the traditional union of theropods...
R.B.J. (2010). "A description of Megalosaurus bucklandii (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Bathonian of the UK and the relationships of Middle Jurassic...
Herrerasaurid Gnathovorax indicates that the family falls outside the Theropoda and Sauropodomorpha in the cladistic analysis undertaken on the genus...
Liu; Xingliao Zhang; Songhai Jia & Qiang Ji (2010). "A new troodontid (Theropoda: Troodontidae) from the Late Cretaceous of central China, and the radiation...
Global Information
