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Metriacanthosaurids facts for kids

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Metriacanthosaurids
Temporal range: Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, 175.6–135Ma
Sinraptor dongi.jpg
Sinraptor dongi, Royal Tyrrell Museum
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Infraorder: Carnosauria
Superfamily: Allosauroidea
Family: Metriacanthosauridae
Paul, 1988
Type species
Megalosaurus parkeri
Huene, 1923
Subgroups
Synonyms
  • Sinraptoridae Currie & Zhao, 1993

Metriacanthosaurids were a family of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. They tended to be large predators, and some were 30 ft (10 m) long.

Metriacanthosaurids are carnosaurs. At first they were classified in the Megalosauridae or Allosauridae, now they are put in their own family. A gigantic tooth, which may come from a giant metriacanthosaurid, was described recently (2008).

Classification

The Metriacanthosauridae is a monophyletic group. Cladistically it includes Metriacanthosaurus parkeri and species closer related to Metriacanthosaurus than to Allosaurus fragilis, Carcharodontosaurus saharicus, or to birds. These theropods are close to the ancestors of the allosaurs.

Metriacanthosauridae is often referred to as "Sinraptoridae", but Metriacanthosauridae is the correct name under ICZN rules, since Metriacanthosaurus was the first member of the family to be described and named.

The cladogram here follows a study by Benson and colleagues.

Metriacanthosauridae


Metriacanthosaurus



Sinraptor



unnamed

Poekilopleuron



Lourinhanosaurus





Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Metriacantosáuridos para niños

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