Open Paleo

Neotheropoda

Bakker, 1986

Its genera lived 237.0–66.0 million years ago Late Triassic–Late Cretaceous

Neotheropoda, meaning "new theropods," is a clade that encompasses nearly all theropod dinosaurs, from the small, lightly built coelophysoids of the Late Triassic to the more advanced ceratosaurs and tetanurans, the latter of which ultimately gave rise to modern birds. Its members are distinguished by a reduction of several foot bones, which left the characteristic three-toed (tridactyl) footprints associated with theropods. It is the only group of theropods to survive the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event, after which it radiated into the dominant terrestrial predators of the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The more derived members form the clade Averostra, which unites the ceratosaurs and the tetanurans; by the Early Jurassic the non-averostran lineages had died out.

Clades within Neotheropoda

Genera placed directly in Neotheropoda

  • Cryolophosaurus Hammer & Hickerson, 1994 Sinemurian–Pliensbachian (199.5–184.2 Ma)Antarcticaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Dilophosaurus Welles, 1970 Hettangian–Pliensbachian (201.4–184.2 Ma)United States
  • Dolichosuchus Nomen dubium Huene, 1932 Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)Germanyincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Dracovenator Yates, 2005 Hettangian–Sinemurian (201.4–192.9 Ma)South Africa
  • Gojirasaurus Nomen dubium Carpenter, 1997 Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)United Statesincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Halticosaurus Nomen dubium Huene, 1908 Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)Germanyincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Kayentavenator Disputed Gay, 2010 Sinemurian–Pliensbachian (199.5–184.2 Ma)United Statesincertae sedis
  • Lepidus Nesbitt & Ezcurra, 2015 Carnian–Norian (237.0–205.7 Ma)United Statesunder dispute
  • Liliensternus Welles, 1984 Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)Germanyunder dispute
  • Newtonsaurus Disputed Evans et al., 2025 Rhaetian (205.7–201.4 Ma)United Kingdom
  • Notatesseraeraptor Zahner & Brinkmann, 2019 Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)Switzerland
  • Sarcosaurus Andrews, 1921 Sinemurian (199.5–192.9 Ma)United Kingdomunder dispute
  • Shuangbaisaurus Disputed Wang et al., 2017 Hettangian (201.4–199.5 Ma)Chinaincertae sedis
  • Sinosaurus Young, 1940 Hettangian–Sinemurian (201.4–192.9 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Tachiraptor Langer et al., 2014 Hettangian (201.4–199.5 Ma)Venezuela
  • Zupaysaurus Arcucci & Coria, 2003 Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)Argentinaunder dispute

References

  1. Bakker, R. T. (1986). The Dinosaur Heresies: New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and Their Extinction. William Morrow, New York.

    First printed the name Neotheropoda as a branch label on its dinosaur family tree (p. 458), for the ceratosaurs and more derived theropods above the podokesaurs; the text does not discuss it.

    bakker1986a
  2. Sereno, P. C. (1998). A rationale for phylogenetic definitions, with application to the higher-level taxonomy of Dinosauria. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 210: 41-83. doi:10.1127/njgpa/210/1998/41

    Defined Neotheropoda as the node of Coelophysis and modern birds.

    sereno1998a