Coelurosauria

 Reconstruction of Coelurus fragilis by FunkMonk.

Belongs within: Tetanurae.
Contains: Tyrannosauroidea, Maniraptora.

The Coelurosauria is the clade of theropod dinosaurs including all species more closely related to modern birds than to Allosaurus. This is perhaps the most ecologically and morphologically diverse group of dinosaurs. Even without considering the birds themselves, it includes the tyrannosaurs, the giant graviportal therizinosaurs and the small derived alvarezsaurs. Within the coelurosaurs we have definitive evidence for the presence of protofeathers in basal forms such as Tyrannosauroidea and Compsognathidae. These protofeathers were filamentous, hair-like structures; true aerodynamic feathers, with a knitted planar surface formed from branching filaments, probably developed within the Maniraptora.

Notable subgroups of the Coelurosauria include the Ornithomimosauria, slender cursorial theropods from the Cretaceous of Eurasia and North America. Most ornithomimosaurs lacked teeth, and they may have included omnivorous or herbivorous forms. The Compsognathidae are small coelurosaurs known from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of Eurasia; until recently, Compsognathus longipes was regarded as the smallest known non-avian dinosaur (smaller forms are now known among the Maniraptora). Coelurus fragilis is a small theropod (about two metres in length) known from the late Jurassic of Wyoming.

Synapomorphies (from Holtz 1998): Cervical central surfaces amphiplatyan; pubic boot boat-shaped (pointed cranially and caudally) in ventral view, angle between shaft and caudal portion of boot acute; proximal end of fibula 75% or more proximal width of tibia.

<==Coelurosauria [Avofilopluma, Coeluria, Coeluridae, Ornitholestinae]
    |--ZuolongGC13
    |--Sciurumimus Rauhut, Foth et al. 2012GC13, RF12
    |    `--*S. albersdoerferi Rauhut, Foth et al. 2012RF12
    |--Gasosaurus Dong & Tang 1985H98, HMC04
    |    `--G. constructus Dong & Tang 1985HMC04
    |--Tugulusaurus Dong 1973GC13, HMC04
    |    `--T. faciles Dong 1973HMC04
    `--+--+--Coelurus Marsh 1879GC13, HMC04
       |  |    `--C. fragilis Marsh 1879 [incl. C. agilis Marsh 1884]HMC04
       |  `--+--Tanycolagreus topwilsoniGC13, ZZ08
       |     `--TyrannosauroideaGC13
       `--+--Sinocalliopteryx gigasGC13, P10
          `--+--+--Huaxiagnathus Hwang, Norell et al. 2004GC13, D07
             |  |    `--H. orientalisZZ08
             |  `--Compsognathidae [Compsognathia]HMC04
             |       |  i. s.: Aristosuchus Seeley 1887N02
             |       |           `--*A. pusillus (Owen 1876) [=Poekilopleuron pusillus, Poikilopleuron pusillus]N02
             |       |--Sinosauropteryx Ji & Ji 1996GC13, HMC04
             |       |    `--S. prima Ji & Ji 1996HMC04
             |       `--+--Mirischia asymmetricaXC06
             |          `--Compsognathus Wagner 1861GC13, HMC04
             |               `--C. longipes Wagner 1861 [incl. C. corallestris Bidar, Demay & Thomel 1972]HMC04
             `--+--+--Juravenator Göhlich & Chiappe 2006GC13, GC06
                |  |    `--*J. starki Göhlich & Chiappe 2006GC06
                |  `--Ornitholestes Osborn 1903GC13, HMC04
                |       `--O. hermanni Osborn 1903H98 [=Coelurus hermanniP88]
                `--Maniraptoriformes [Arctometatarsalia, Bullatosauria, Protoavia]MOW02
                     |--ManiraptoraGC13
                     `--+--Nqwebasaurus de Klerk, Forster et al. 2000GC13, HMC04
                        |    `--N. thwazi de Klerk, Forster et al. 2000HMC04
                        `--Ornithomimosauria [Garudimiminae, Ornithomimidae, Ornithomiminae]MKC04
                             |  i. s.: Sinornithomimus Kobayashi & Lü 2003MKC04
                             |           `--S. dongi Kobayashi & Lü 2003MKC04
                             |         Coelosaurus (n. d.)MKC04
                             |           |--C. affinis Gilmore 1920 (n. d.)MKC04
                             |           `--C. antiquus Leidy 1865 (n. d.)MKC04
                             |         Timimus hermani Rich & Vickers-Rich 1994MKC04
                             |         Beishanlong grandisP10
                             |         Kinnareemimus khonkaensisP10
                             |--Harpymimus Barsbold & Perle 1984ZZ08, MKC04 [Harpymimidae]
                             |    `--H. okladnikovi Barsbold & Perle 1984MKC04
                             `--+--Deinocheirus Osmólska & Roniewicz 1970ZZ08, MKC04 [Deinocheiridae, Deinocheirinae]
                                |    `--D. mirificus Osmólska & Roniewicz 1970MKC04
                                `--+--Shenzhousaurus Ji, Norell et al. 2003ZZ08, MKC04
                                   |    `--S. orientalis Ji, Norell et al. 2003MKC04
                                   `--+--Pelecanimimus Pérez-Moreno, Sanz et al. 1994ZZ08, MKC04
                                      |    |--P. hoyasiSR05
                                      |    `--P. polyodon Pérez-Moreno, Sanz et al. 1994MKC04
                                      `--+--Garudimimus Barsbold 1981GC13, MKC04
                                         |    `--G. brevipes Barsbold 1981MKC04
                                         `--+--Archaeornithomimus Russell 1972ZZ08, MKC04
                                            |    |--A. affinis (Gilmore 1920) [=Ornithomimus (Archaeornithomimus) affinis]P88
                                            |    |--A. asiaticus (Gilmore 1933) [=Ornithomimus asiaticus]MKC04
                                            |    `--A. bissektensis Nessov 1995 (n. d.)MKC04
                                            `--+--Gallimimus Osmólska, Roniewicz & Barsbold 1972GC13, MKC04
                                               |    |--G. bullatus Osmólska, Roniewicz & Barsbold 1972MKC04 (see below for synonymy)
                                               |    `--G. mongoliensisD07
                                               `--+--Struthiomimus Osborn 1917ZZ08, MKC04
                                                  |    |--S. altus (Lambe 1902) [=Ornithomimus altus]MKC04
                                                  |    |--S. edmontonicusP10
                                                  |    `--S. sedensD07
                                                  `--+--Anserimimus Barsbold 1988ZZ08, MKC04
                                                     |    `--A. planinychus Barsbold 1988MKC04
                                                     `--Ornithomimus Marsh 1890ZZ08, MKC04 (see below for synonymy)
                                                          |--*O. velox Marsh 1890M96, MKC04
                                                          |--O. antiquusD07
                                                          |--O. edmontonicus Sternberg 1933MKC04 (see below for synonymy)
                                                          |--O. lonzeensisD07
                                                          |--O. sedens Marsh 1892 (n. d.)MKC04
                                                          `--O. tenuis Marsh 1890 (n. d.)MKC04
Coelurosauria incertae sedis:
  Kakuru Molnar & Pledge 1980HMC04
    `--K. kujani Molnar & Pledge 1980HMC04
  Scipionyx Dal Sasso & Signore 1998HMC04
    `--S. samniticus Dal Sasso & Signore 1998HMC04
  Nedcolbertia Kirkland, Britt et al. 1998HMC04
    `--N. justinhofmanni Kirkland, Britt et al. 1998HMC04
  Archaeornithoides Elżanowski & Wellnhofer 1992HMC04
    `--A. deinosauriscus Elżanowski & Wellnhofer 1992HMC04
  Rapator Huene 1932P88, HMC04
    `--R. ornitholestoides Huene 1932HMC04
  Aniksosaurus darwiniP10

Gallimimus bullatus Osmólska, Roniewicz & Barsbold 1972MKC04 [=Ornithomimus bullatusP88, Struthiomimus bullatusP10]

Ornithomimus Marsh 1890ZZ08, MKC04 [incl. Dromiceiomimus Russell 1972MKC04]

Ornithomimus edmontonicus Sternberg 1933MKC04 [incl. Struthiomimus brevitertius Parks 1926MKC04, Dromiceiomimus brevitertiusN85, Ornithomimus brevitertiusP88, Struthiomimus currelli Parks 1933MKC04, S. ingens Parks 1933MKC04, Ornithomimus ingensO69, S. samueli Parks 1928MKC04, Dromiceiomimus samueliP88, Struthiomimus samueliP88]

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[D07] Dixon, D. 2007. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures. Hermes House: London.

[GC13] Godefroit, P., A. Cau, Hu D.-Y., F. Escuillié, Wu W. & G. Dyke. 2013. A Jurassic avialan dinosaur from China resolves the early phylogenetic history of birds. Nature 498: 359–362.

[GC06] Göhlich, U. B., & L. M. Chiappe. 2006. A new carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen archipelago. Nature 440: 329–332.

[H98] Holtz, T. R., Jr. 1998. A new phylogeny of the carnivorous dinosaurs. Gaia 15: 5–61.

[HMC04] Holtz, T. R., Jr, R. E. Molnar & P. J. Currie. 2004. Basal Tetanurae. In: Weishampel, D. B., P. Dodson & H. Osmólska (eds) The Dinosauria 2nd ed. pp. 71–110. University of California Press: Berkeley.

[MKC04] Makovicky, P. J., Y. Kobayashi & P. J. Currie. 2004. Ornithomimosauria. In: Weishampel, D. B., P. Dodson & H. Osmólska (eds) The Dinosauria 2nd ed. pp. 137–150. University of California Press: Berkeley.

[M96] Marsh, O. C. 1896. The Dinosaurs of North America: Washington.

[MOW02] Maryańska, T., H. Osmólska & M. Wolsan. 2002. Avialan status for Oviraptorosauria. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 47 (1): 97–116.

[N02] Naish, D. 2002. The historical taxonomy of the Lower Cretaceous theropods (Dinosauria) Calamospondylus and Aristosuchus from the Isle of Wight. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 113: 153–163.

[N85] Norman, D. 1985 (reprinted 2000). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. Salamander Books: London.

[O69] Ostrom, J. H. 1969. Osteology of Deinonychus antirrhopus, an unusual theropod from the Lower Cretaceous of Montana. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 30: 1–165.

[P88] Paul, G. S. 1988. Predatory Dinosaurs of the World: A Complete Illustrated Guide. Simon & Schuster: New York.

[P10] Paul, G. S. 2010. Dinosaurs: A Field Guide. A & C Black.

[RF12] Rauhut, O. W. M., C. Foth, H. Tischlinger & M. A. Norell. 2012. Exceptionally preserved juvenile megalosauroid theropod dinosaur with filamentous integument from the Late Jurassic of Germany. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 109 (29): 11746–11751.

[SR05] Senter, P., & J. H. Robins. 2005. Range of motion in the forelimb of the theropod dinosaur Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, and implications for predatory behaviour. Journal of Zoology 266: 307–318.

[XC06] Xu, X., J. M. Clark, C. A. Forster, M. A. Norell, G. M. Erickson, D. A. Eberth, C. Jia & Q. Zhao. 2006. A basal tyrannosauroid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of China. Nature 439: 715–718.

[ZZ08] Zhang, F., Z. Zhou, X. Xu, X. Wang & C. Sullivan. 2008. A bizarre Jurassic maniraptoran from China with elongate ribbon-like feathers. Nature 455: 1105–1108.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *