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Clade
Subclade

Taxon
Taxon
Theropoda
Nominal Author
Marsh 1891
2nd Nominal Author
Taxon Status ACTIVE
Comments

Gauthier (1986) coined a stem-based definition using birds and sauropodomorphs. Later authors used genera to replace one or both of these specifiers: Currie (1997) used Plateosaurus and Diplodocus instead of Sauropodomorpha; Padian et al. (1999) used Cetiosaurus instead of Sauropodomorpha; Sereno (1998) used Neornithes and Saltasaurus. Most recently, Holtz and Osmólska (2004) used Cetiosaurus oxoniensis and Passer domesticus as specifiers, incorrectly citing this definition as based on Padian and May (1993) and Maryanska et al. (2002) (neither of which define Theropoda).

Using Cetiosaurus is problematic given the fragmentary nature of the original type species. There is little gained in my opinion to give great weight to the first named species within a clade or interpretations of the intentions of nineteenth century systematists, when their actions and ideas may have been modified by a century of work and accumulated collections. The active definition is a first order revision of the defnition in Sereno (1998) that uses the deeply nested, well-founded sauropod species Saltasaurus loricatus.

Potential Synonomy
Theriopoda (Ray Lankester 1888, spelling variant)

Active Phylogenetic Definition
Active Definition
The most inclusive clade containing Passer domesticus (Linnaeus 1758) but not Saltasaurus loricatus Bonaparte and Powell 1980.
Shorthand
> Passer domesticus but not Saltasaurus loricatus.
Definitional Author
Sereno 2005
Definition Status Unknown
Definition Type STEM
Node-Stem Triplet NO
Other Triplet Taxa
Specifiers
Specifier(s) A
Passer domesticus
Specifier(s) B
Specifier(s) C
Saltasaurus loricatus
Qualifiers
+Taxon
-Taxon
Datum
Taxonomic Content
Publication Year Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
1986

Inactive Taxon Status
Rejection Criteria
Critique
 

Definitional History #1
Earliest Record
Birds and all saurischians that are closer to birds than they are to sauropodomorphs.
Latest Record
Gauthier 1986:18
Range (My)
Range (My)
birds, sauropodomorphs
Range (My)

Definitional History #2
Earliest Record
Birds and all other theropods more closely related to birds than to Sauropodomorpha, such as Plateosaurus and Diplodocus.
Latest Record
Currie 1997:731
Range (My)
Range (My)
birds, Plateosaurus, Diplodocus
Range (My)

Definitional History #3
Earliest Record
All saurischians closer to Neornithes than to Saltasaurus.
Latest Record
Sereno 1998:64
Range (My)
Range (My)
Neornithes, Saltasaurus
Range (My)

Definitional History #4
Earliest Record
All Saurischia closer to Neornithes than to Cetiosaurus.
Latest Record
Padian et al. 1999:70
Range (My)
Range (My)
Neornithes, Cetiosaurus
Range (My)

Definitional History #5
Earliest Record
Aves and all saurischian dinosaurs more closely related to Aves than Sauropodomorpha.
Latest Record
Clarke 2004:18
Range (My)
Range (My)
Aves, Sauropodomorpha
Range (My)

Definitional History #6
Earliest Record
All taxa closer to Passer domesticus than to Cetiosaurus oxoniensis.
Latest Record
Holtz and Osmólska 2004:22
Range (My)
Range (My)
Passer domesticus, Cetiosaurus oxoniensis
Range (My)

Definitional History #7
Earliest Record
Latest Record
Range (My)
Range (My)
Range (My)

Definitional History #8
Earliest Record
Latest Record
Range (My)
Range (My)
Range (My)

Definitional History #9
Earliest Record
Latest Record
Range (My)
Range (My)
Range (My)

Definitional History #10
Earliest Record
Latest Record
Range (My)
Range (My)
Range (My)