Dinosaur Classification

The the Linnean/Evolutionary Systemic Classification


The Standard or Traditional Classification of Dinosaurs uses the Linnean and evolutionary systematic approach.  This is confined now to older books.  There are two orders, the Saurischia and the Ornithischia, distinguished on pelvis structure (one being, as the name indicates, more lizard- or crocodile-like, the other more bird-like).  This basically goes as follows:


Order Saurischia
    Suborder Theropoda
           Infraorder Coelurosauria (small lightly built carnivores and omnivores)
           Infraorder Carnosauria (large carnivores, allosaurs, tyrannosaurs, etc)
    Suborder Sauropodamorpha
            Infraorder Prosauropoda (early two-legged plant-eaters)
            Infraorder Sauropoda (giant plant-eaters, brontosaurus etc)

Order Ornithischia
    Suborder Ornithopoda (two legged herbivores)
    Suborder Stegosauria (plated dinosaurs)
    Suborder Ankylosauria (armoured dinosaurs)
    Suborder Ceratopsia (horned dinosaurs)

When various new types of dinosaurs were discovered - dromaeosaurs, segnosaurs, heterodontosaurs, etc - these were usually slotted in extra subdivisions; the dromaeosaurs for example were included with the coelurosaurs, and the heterodontosaurs with the ornithopods.  More recent books incorporate cladistic categories - e.g. Cerapoda, Maniraptora, Marginocephalia - but this introduces so many extra levels that the Linnean system breaks down.. Moreover, even the most recent dino books still retain the Saurischia-Ornithischia dichotomy (Herrerasaurs for example are usually included under the Saurischia).

A more controversial classification of the Dinosauria is presented by Gregory S. Paul in his Predatory Dinosaurs of the World (1988), to my mind still the best book on dinosaurs ever written (albeit looking rather dated and with some rather dubious metabolic asusmptions).  GSP suggests the following arrangement (based in part on Robert T. Bakker):


Subclass or Infraclass Dinosauria
   Superorder Paleodinosauria (proto-dinosaurs)
   Superorder Herreravia (primitive bird-like forms)
   Superorder Theropoda (meat-eaters, and protobirds)
   Superorder Phytodinosauria (plant-eaters - Sauropodamorphs and Ornithischia)

These inflated taxonomic rankings appear to be an attempt to reconcile the Linnean and Cladistic systems; generally such attempts don't work.

Stanley Friesen's external link Preferred Classification of the Dinosaurs is based on the conventional two order arrangement differs somewhat by incorporated new taxa and discoveries, but avoids cladistic approach

Full Linnean Classification combines the cladistic and the Linnean by adding division, subdivision etc



The Cladistic classification
Dinosaur main page
Dinosaur
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page uploaded 11 December 1998
modified 30 July 1999
and on 17 January 2000
converted to style sheet format 30 December 2000

content and html by M.Alan Kazlev