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My classification of the dinosaurs



This is my tentative non-cladistic classification of the dinosaurs.
In order to accomodate the diversity I have bumped the order-group
taxa up one half step.  That is, traditional suborders are orders,
and so on.


The principle source I used is:
Olshevsky, George, 1991, A Revision of the Parainfraclass
Archosauria Cope, 1869, Excluding the Advanced Crocodylia.
Mesozoic Meanderings #2

I have also made use of:
Weishampel, David B., P. Dodson, & H. Osmolska, eds, 1990
The Dinosauria, University of California Press

Paul, Gregory S., 1988, Predatory Dinosaurs of the World.
New York Acadamy of Sciences, Simon & Schuster


Superorder SAURISCHIA
    Order HERRERASAURIA
            Family Staurikosauridae
                Contains: Eoraptor, Staurikosaurus
            Family Herrerasauridae
                Contains: Herrerasaurus, Ischisaurus, and others
            Family Saltopodidae [position uncertain]
                Contains: Saltopus

    Order THEROPODA
        Suborder Ceratosauria
            Family Podokesauridae
                Contains: Coelophysis, Podokesaurus, Segisaurus
            Family Halticosauridae
                Contains: Dilophosaurus, Halticosaurus,
                        Liliensternus, and others
            Family Ceratosauridae
                Contains: Ceratosaurus, Sarcosaurus
            Family Megalosauridae
                Contains: Megalosaurus,  Torvosaurus and others
            Family Abelisauridae
                Contains: Abelisaurus, Carnotaurus,
                        Xenotarsosaurus, and others
            Family Spinosauridae
                Contains: Archaeornithoides, Baronyx, Spinosaurus
            Family Noasauridae
                Contains: Noasaurus
            Family Alvarezsauridae
                Contains: Alvarezsaurus
            Family Procompsognathidae [may not be seperate family]
                Contains: Avipes, Procompsognathus, and others

        Suborder "Carnosauria" [I don't like this name
                                - too many 'small' forms]
            Family Eustreptospondylidae
                Contains: Eustreptospondylus, Gasosaurus, Marshosaurus,
                        Metriacanthosaurus, and others
            Family Itemeridae
                Contains: Itemirus
            Family Ornitholestidae [perhaps part of Allosauridae,
                                        per Paul, 1988]
                Contains: Ornitholestes, Piveteausaurus,
                        Proceratosaurus, and others
            Family Allosauridae
                Subfamily Allosaurinae
                    Contains: Allosaurus, Szechuanosaurus, and others
                Subfamily Carcharodontosaurinae
                    Contains: Acrocanthosaurus, Chilantaisaurus and
                    others
            Family Aublysodontidae [may belong in Maniraptora]
                Contains: Alectrosaurus, Aublysodon, Shanshanosaurus
            Family Dryptosauridae [ may belong in "Coelurosauria"]
                Contains: Dryptosauroides, Dryptosaurus,
                        probably Altispinax

        Suborder Ornithomimosauria
            Family Deinocheiridae
                Contains: Deinocheirus
            Family Harpymimidae
                Contains: Harpymimus, probably Elaphrosaurus
            Family Ornithomimidae
                Subfamily  Ornithomiminae
                    Contains: Anserimimus, Dromiceiomimus,
                                Gallimimus, Ornithomimus
                Subfamily Garudimiminae
                    Contains: Archaeornithomimus, Garudimimus

        Suborder Coelurosauria [in the strict sense]
            Family Compsognathidae
                Contains: Coelurus, Compsognathus, and probably others
            Family Archaeopterygidae [may belong in Maniraptora]
                Contains: Archaeopteryx, perhaps Palaeopteryx

        Suborder Maniraptora
            Family Dromaeosauridae
                Contains: Deinonychus, Dromaeosaurus,
                        Velociraptor, and others
            Family Oviraptoridae
                Contains: Conchoraptor, Ingenia, Oviraptor
            Family Caenagnathidae (including Elmisauridae)
                Contains: Caenagnathus, Chirostenotes,
                        Microvenator, perhaps others
            Family Avimimidae [may belong in Coelurosauria]
                Contains: Avimimus, probably Mononykus, perhaps Kakuru
            Family Troodontidae
                Contains: Saurornithoides, Troodon and others
            Family Tyrannosauridae
                Contains: Albertosaurus, Chingkankousaurus,
                        Tyrannosaurus and others

        Suborder Segnosauria
            Family Segnosauridae
                Contains: Enigmosaurus, Erlikosaurus,
                        Nanshiungosaurus, Segnosaurus
            Family Therizinosauridae
                Contains: Therizinosaurus

    Order SAUROPODOMORPHA
        Suborder Prosauropoda
            Family Anchisauridae
                Contains: Anchisaurus, Thecodontosaurus, and others
            Family Massospondylidae [may be part of Thecodontisauridae]
                Contains: Massospondylus
            Family Plateosauridae
                Contains: Coloradisaurus, Lufengosaurus,
                        Plateosaurus, and others
            Family Yunnanosauridae [may be part of Plateosauridae]
                Contains: Yunnanosaurus
            Family Melanorosauridae
                Contains: Melanorosaurus, Riojasaurus, and others
            Family Blikanosauridae [may be part of Melanorosauridae]
                Contains: Blikanosaurus

        Suborder Sauropoda (or Eusauropoda)
            Family Barapasauridae (the rules require this name,
                                not Vulcanodontidae)
                Contains: Barapasaurus, Vulcanodon, and others
            Family Cetiosauridae
                Contains: Cetiosaurus, Haplocanthosaurus,
                        Shunosaurus, and others
            Family Euhelopodidae
                Contains: Euhelopus, Mamenchisaurus, Omeisaurus and
                others
            Family Brachiosauridae
                Contains: Brachiosaurus, Pelorosaurus,
                        Ultrasauros, and others
            Family Camarasauridae
                Contains: Camarasaurus, Opisthocoelicaudia, and others
            Family Diplodocidae
                Contains: Apatosaurus, Barosaurus, Diplodocus,
                         Seismosaurus, Supersaurus, and others
            Family Dicraeosauridae [may be part of Diplodicidae]
                Contains: Dicraeosaurus, Nemegtosaurus,
                        probably Antarctosaurus and others
            Family Titanosauridae
                Contains: Alamosaurus, Hypselosaurus, Saltasaurus,
                        Titanosaurus, Tornieria, and others


Superorder ORNITHISCHIA
    Order DOLICHOPODA
            Family Fabrosauridae
                Contains: Fabrosaurus, Lesothosaurus, and others
            Family Heterodontosauridae
                Contains: Heterodontosaurus, Lycorhinus, and others
            Family Scutellosauridae
                Contains: Echinodon, Scutellosaurus, perhaps Emausaurus


    Order ORNITHOPODA
            Family Hypsilophodontidae
                Subfamily Hypsilophodontinae
                    Contains: Hypsilophodon, Orodromeus,
                                Thescelosaurus, and others
                Subfamily Tenontosaurinae
                    Contains: Tenontosaurus
            Family Dryosauridae
                Contains: Dryosaurus, Kangnasaurus, Valdosaurus
            Family Iguanodontidae
                Contains: Iguanodon, Ouranosaurus,
                        Probactrosaurus, perhaps others
            Family Camptosauridae [may be part of Iguanodontidae]
                Contains: Callovosaurus, Camptosaurus,
                Muttaburrasaurus,
                        probably Rhabdodon
            Family Hadrosauridae
                Contains: Anatotitan, Edmontosaurus, Maiasaura,
                        Saurolophus, Tanius, and others
            Family Lambeosauridae [may be subfamily of Hadrosauridae]
                Contains: Bactrosaurus, Corythosaurus,
                        Lambeosaurus, and others

    Order ENOPLOSAURIA or THYREOPHORA
            Family Scelidosauridae
                Contains: Lusitanosaurus, Scelidosaurus, Tatisaurus
            Family Stegosauridae
                Subfamily Huayangosaurinae
                    Contains: Huayangosaurus
                Subfamily Stegosaurinae
                    Contains: Dacentrurus, Kentrosaurus,
                        Stegosaurus, and others
            Family Nodosauridae
                Contains: Acanthopholis, Edmontonia,
                        Nodosaurus, and others
            Family Ankylosauridae
                Contains: Ankylosaurus, Euoplocephalus, Minmi,
                        Talarurus, and others

    Order MARGINOCAPHALIA
        Suborder Pachycephalosauria
            Family "Chaoyoungosauridae"  [not officially created yet]
                Will contain: "Chaoyoungosaurus", Stenopelix
            Family Homalocephalidae
                Contains: Homalocephale,Micropachycephalosaurus and
                others
            Family Pachycephalosauridae
                Contains: Ornatotholus, Pachycephalosaurus, Stegoceras,
                        Stygimoloch, Yaverlandia and others

        Suborder Ceratopsia
            Family Psittacosauridae
                Contains: Psittacosaurus
            Family Protoceratopsidae
                Contains: Leptoceratops, Montanaceratops,
                        Protoceratops, and others
            Family Ceratopsidae
                Subfamily Centrosaurinae
                    Contains: Centrosaurus, Monoclonius,
                    Pachyrhinosaurus,
                            Styracosaurus, and others
                Subfamily Chasmosaurinae
                    Contains: Anchiceratops, Arrhinoceratops,
                                Chasmosaurus, Pentaceratops,
                                Torosaurus,
                                Triceratops and others

swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com         sarima@netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.