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Clade
Subclade

Taxon
Taxon
Spinosauroidea
Nominal Author
Stromer 1915
2nd Nominal Author
Olshevsky 1995
Taxon Status ACTIVE
Comments

Spinosauroidea was first used by Olshevsky (1995) in a commentary that pointed out its priority over Torvosauroidea, as a coordinate family-group taxon named initially by Stromer (1915). Torvosauroidea, coined by Jensen 1985, was used to for spinosaurids plus torvosaurids by Sereno et al. (1994). Spinosauroidea is the taxon of preference, ven though it had not been used until Olshevsky’s publication.

Sereno (1998) provided the first definition for Spinosauroidea, a node-based definition that anchored a node-stem triplet with its two main subgroups, Spinosauridae and Torvosauridae. Padian et al. (1999) hesitated to use either taxon for fear that the phylogenetic relationships of included and potentially related taxa were too poorly understood. Spinosaurids and some torvosaurids, nevertheless, are known from very complete skeletal material and their molnophyly is as substantial as many other clades. Recently, Holtz et al. (2004:95) proposed a stem-based definition for this clade, but it is not clear that this was intentional, as they gave no reasons for doing so and did not cite the original node-based definition. If an additional stem-based clade is warranted because of future accummulation of stem taxa, the taxon Spinosauria could be properly named and defined (currently used informally on internet compilations).

The active phylogenetic definition is a first-order revision of the definition in Sereno (1998) and incorporates two negative taxon qualifiers (Allosaurus fragilis, Passer domesticus) that stabilize taxonomic content. Should its two subgroups prove to have more distant phylogenetic relationships, the name Spinosauroidea would then be inapplicable.

Potential Synonomy
Torvosauroidea

Active Phylogenetic Definition
Active Definition
The least inclusive clade containing Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Stromer 1915 and Torvosaurus tanneri Galton and Jensen 1979 but excluding Allosaurus fragilis Marsh 1877, Passer domesticus (Linnaeus 1758).
Shorthand
< Spinosaurus aegyptiacus and Torvosaurus tanneriAllosaurus fragilis and Passer domesticus.
Definitional Author
Sereno 2005
Definition Status checked
Definition Type NODE
Node-Stem Triplet NODE
Other Triplet Taxa
Spinosauridae, Torvosauridae
Specifiers
Specifier(s) A
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
Specifier(s) B
Torvosaurus tanneri
Specifier(s) C
Qualifiers
+Taxon
-Taxon
Allosaurus fragilis, Passer domesticus
Datum
Taxonomic Content
Publication Year Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
1998

Inactive Taxon Status
Rejection Criteria
Critique
 

Definitional History #1
Earliest Record
Spinosaurus, Torvosaurus, their most recent common ancestor and all descendants.
Latest Record
Sereno 1998:64
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Spinosaurus, Torvosaurus
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Definitional History #2
Earliest Record
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus and all taxa sharing a more recent common ancestor with it than with Passer domesticus.
Latest Record
Holtz et al. 2004:95
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Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, Passer domesticus
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