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clade · 48 represented species

Theropoda

Theropoda is a diverse lineage of ancestrally bipedal dinosaurs that includes large predators, many small feathered forms and all living birds.

Explore this branch Parent: Saurischia

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Theropoda

The page URL and title are included automatically. Optional contact details are used only to discuss this report. Do not submit private information or precise sensitive fossil-site coordinates.

Representative silhouette for Theropoda
6Direct child groups
17Countries represented
233–0 MaDataset range

Definition

Characteristics and significance

Theropods document the origin of birds and flight while also including many of the dominant terrestrial predators of the Mesozoic.

  • Ancestrally bipedal stance
  • Three principal weight-bearing toes
  • Hollow or air-filled bones in many lineages

Name meaning: Beast foot

Branch structure

Direct branches in this dataset

Representative taxa

Dinosaurs in this branch

Triassic

Coelophysis bauri

A lightly built Late Triassic predator known from hundreds of skeletons at Ghost Ranch. Its famous fossils stabilized a difficult species name—and disproved a textbook story about dinosaur cannibalism.

carnivore~2.7 m

Jurassic

Dilophosaurus wetherilli

A large Early Jurassic predator from Navajo Nation lands in Arizona, distinguished by two thin crests built from several skull bones. It was far larger and more powerfully constructed than its small, venom-spitting film counterpart—and no fossil supports either venom or a neck frill.

carnivore~7 m

Jurassic

Ceratosaurus nasicornis

A medium-sized Morrison Formation predator with a blade-like nasal horn, raised brow bones, unusually deep jaws, four-fingered hands and a row of small bony osteoderms along the body midline.

carnivore~6 m

Cretaceous

Carnotaurus sastrei

A short-skulled Patagonian abelisaurid with thick brow horns, extremely reduced arms and exceptionally preserved scaly skin. Nearly everything known comes from one remarkable skeleton.

carnivore~7.5 m

Cretaceous

Majungasaurus crenatissimus

A short-skulled Madagascan abelisaurid known from multiple skulls and skeletons, including bones bearing feeding marks made by its own species.

carnivore~6.5 m

Cretaceous

Rajasaurus narmadensis

A stoutly built Indian abelisaurid known from an associated partial skeleton with a thickened skull roof and distinctive low median horn.

carnivore~6.6 m

Distribution

Geographic record

United States · Argentina · Madagascar · India · Egypt · Morocco · Niger · United Kingdom · Algeria · Spain · Germany · France · China · Mexico · Mongolia · Canada · Antarctica

Country-level summary of represented seed records, not a complete range map.

Sources

Further reading