Megalosauroids facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Megalosauroids |
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| Torvosaurus skeletal mount, Museum of Ancient Life | |
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| Spinosaurus skeletal mount, National Geographic Museum | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | Orionides |
| Superfamily: | †Megalosauroidea Huxley, 1889 |
| Type species | |
| †Megalosaurus bucklandii Mantell, 1827
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Megalosauroidea is a group of huge meat-eating dinosaurs. They were a type of theropod, which means "beast foot." These dinosaurs lived a very long time ago. They roamed the Earth from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous periods. That's roughly from 170 to 85 million years ago!
Some of the most famous dinosaurs in this group include Spinosaurus, Megalosaurus, and Torvosaurus. These were all powerful predators. They hunted other dinosaurs for food.
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Understanding Megalosauroids
Megalosauroids were fierce hunters. They had strong jaws and sharp teeth. Their bodies were built for speed and power. They were some of the top predators of their time.
What is a Clade?
In science, a "clade" is a group of living things. They all share a single common ancestor. This means they are all related to each other. The Megalosauroidea clade includes Megalosaurus bucklandii and all dinosaurs more closely related to it than to Allosaurus fragilis or a House Sparrow.
Family Tree of Megalosauroids
Scientists use something called a cladogram to show how different animals are related. Think of it like a family tree for dinosaurs! This cladogram shows the relationships within the Megalosauroidea group. It's based on a study from 2012.
| Tetanurae |
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Main Groups of Megalosauroids
The cladogram shows several important families within Megalosauroidea:
- Piatnitzkysauridae: This group includes dinosaurs like Piatnitzkysaurus. They were early members of the Megalosauroidea family.
- Megalosauria: This larger group contains two main branches:
- Spinosauridae: These dinosaurs, like Spinosaurus and Baryonyx, were known for their long snouts. Many of them likely ate fish.
- Megalosauridae: This family includes Megalosaurus and Torvosaurus. They were large, powerful predators.
See also
In Spanish: Megalosauroidea para niños
