It has been suggested that Troodontinae be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since April 2024.
Troodontids
Temporal range: Late Jurassic–Late Cretaceous
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Collection of four troodontids, clockwise from top left: Mei, unnamed Alaskan Troodon, Jianianhualong, Sinovenator.
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Dinosauria
Clade:
Saurischia
Clade:
Theropoda
Clade:
Paraves
Family:
†Troodontidae Gilmore, 1924
Type species
†Troodon formosus
Leidy, 1856
Clade
†Albertavenator
†Almas
†Archaeornithoides?
†Geminiraptor
†Hesperornithoides
†Jianianhualong
†Koparion?
†Liaoningvenator
†Paronychodon?
†Papiliovenator
†Polyodontosaurus
†Sinornithoides
†Talos
†Tochisaurus
†Xixiasaurus
†Jinfengopteryginae
†Sinovenatorinae
†Troodontinae
Synonyms
Saurornithoididae Barsbold, 1974
Troodontidae/troʊ.əˈdɒntɪdiː/ is a clade of bird-like theropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous. During most of the 20th century, troodontid fossils were few and incomplete and they have therefore been allied, at various times, with many dinosaurian lineages. More recent fossil discoveries of complete and articulated specimens (including specimens which preserve feathers, eggs, embryos, and complete juveniles), have helped to increase understanding about this group. Anatomical studies, particularly studies of the most primitive troodontids, like Sinovenator, demonstrate striking anatomical similarities with Archaeopteryx and primitive dromaeosaurids, and demonstrate that they are relatives comprising a clade called Paraves.
Troodontidae /troʊ.əˈdɒntɪdiː/ is a clade of bird-like theropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous. During most of the 20th century, troodontid...
years, during which time the family Pachycephalosauridae was known as Troodontidae. In 1945, Charles Mortram Sternberg rejected the possibility that Troodon...
grams (21–25 oz) in mass. In Eumaniraptora, both Dromaeosauridae and Troodontidae went later through four independent events of gigantism, three times...
Ornithomimus velox. It contains the major subgroups Avialae, Dromaeosauridae, Troodontidae, Oviraptorosauria, and Therizinosauria. Ornitholestes and the Alvarezsauroidea...
scientists classifying them as a distinct family, a basal subfamily of Troodontidae, members of Archaeopterygidae, or an assemblage of dinosaurs that are...
bar. The following cladogram shows the position of Byronosaurus within Troodontidae according to a 2017 analysis by the palaeontologist Caizhi Shen and colleagues:...
Pectinodon. While Pectinodon is only known from teeth, its larger family Troodontidae is known from much more complete specimens. They were small, bird-like...
Troodon formosus. Currie also made Saurornithoididae a junior synonym of Troodontidae. In 1988, Gregory S. Paul went farther and included Saurornithoides mongoliensis...
domesticus). It traditionally includes the families Dromaeosauridae and Troodontidae, which each possess enlarged "sickle claws". However, troodontids may...
that Xiaotingia formed a clade with Archaeopteryx, Dromaeosauridae and Troodontidae to the exclusion of other groups traditionally seen as birds. Xu et al...
family Saurornithoididae. Since these families were the same but the Troodontidae named first, it carries scientific legitimacy. Many milestones of troodontid...
Zhang; Songhai Jia & Qiang Ji (2010). "A new troodontid (Theropoda: Troodontidae) from the Late Cretaceous of central China, and the radiation of Asian...
Philip John Currie showed that this concept was a junior synonym of Troodontidae, implying that Saurornithoides were a troodontid too. The cladogram below...
Anchiornithidae in various phylogenetic positions, including close to Troodontidae or Archaeopterygidae. The results of the phylogenetic analyses by Xu...
to the resemblance with this group that is today seen as part of the Troodontidae, and combines their name with a Greek lestes, "thief". The specific name...
bears a retractable 'sickle claw'. Sinusonasus was in 2004 placed in the Troodontidae. It was presumed to have had a rather derived position, despite living...
Saurornithoididae, Zanabazar is now thought to be a derived member of Troodontidae. The cladogram below shows the phylogenetic position of Zanabazar among...
subarctometatarsal condition. In 2002 Sinovenator was placed in the Troodontidae. Sinovenator is a basal or "primitive" troodontid, and shares features...
researchers proposed Elopteryx was a member of the Dromaeosauridae or Troodontidae, without being able to support this with much empirical evidence. In...
larger than that of basal troodontids. Linhevenator was assigned to the Troodontidae by the describers. It possesses a combination of "primitive" (basal)...
likely than this hypothesis, and as likely as Archaeopterygidae and Troodontidae being sister clades. As in the wings of modern birds, the flight feathers...
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