The phylogenetic position of the Tyrannosauridae: implications for theropod systematics

Journal of Paleontology
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Abstract

Tyrannosaurids are a well-supported clade of very large predatory dinosaurs of Late Cretaceous Asiamerica. Traditional dinosaurian systematics place these animals within the infraorder Carnosauria with the other large theropods (allosaurids, megalosaurids). A new cladistic analysis indicates that the tyrannosaurs were in fact derived members of the Coelurosauria, a group of otherwise small theropods. Despite certain gross cranial similarities with the large predators of the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, the Late Cretaceous tyrannosaurids are shown to be the sister group to ornithomimids and troodontids, which share a derived condition of the metatarsus. This clade is found to be nested within Maniraptora, which is a more inclusive taxon than previously recognized. The atrophied carpal structure found in tyrannosaurids and ornithomimids is derived from a maniraptoran condition with a large semilunate carpal, rather than from the plesiomorphic theropod morphology.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title The phylogenetic position of the Tyrannosauridae: implications for theropod systematics
Series title Journal of Paleontology
DOI 10.1017/S0022336000026706
Volume 68
Issue 5
Year Published 1994
Language English
Publisher Palentological Society
Description 18 p.
First page 1100
Last page 1117
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