SPINOSAURIA
CLASSIFICATION
Animalia: Vertebrata: Tetrapoda: Sauropsida: Archosauromorpha:
Ornithodira: Dinosauria: Theropoda: Tetanurae
CLADOGRAM:
—Spinosauria “Spinosaurus‘ taxon”
| INCERTAE SEDIS:
| ?Siamosaurus
`–Spinosauridae Stromer, 1915 == {Spinosaurus + Baryonyx} =Spinosauroidea sensu Charig & Milner, 1997
|–Baryonychinae [implied in Charig & Milner, 1986] == {Baryonyx > Spinosaurus} =Baryonychidae sensu Charig & Milner, 1986
| | INCERTAE SEDIS:
| | Cristatusaurus
| |–Baryonyx
| `–Suchomimus
`–Spinosaurinae [implied in Stromer, 1915] == {Spinosaurus > Baryonyx} =Spinosauridae sensu Charig & Milner, 1986
|–Spinosaurus
`–Irritatorini [implied in Martill & al., 1996]
|–Angaturama
ESSAY
| Spinosauria once included all theropods with tall vertebral spines. Some of these creatures, such as Acrocanthosaurus and Becklespinax, have since been allied to other groups. P HYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:Spinosaurs all have crocodile-like conical teeth. Their long snouts have kinks like those of coelophysids and some early synapsids. It is thought that they used these for fishing, possibly in conjunction with other carnivorous activities. Baryonychines have more teeth at the end of their lower jaw than spinosaurines. Spinosaurines are characterized by straight, unserrated teeth. |
