Skip to main content

Uncertain Averaptoran Theropods

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Earth System Sciences ((BRIEFSEARTHSYST))

Abstract

Several theropods have been briefly described and assigned to the clade Dromaeosauridae. However, some of these taxa may be excluded from such theropod group, based on several osteological features. Regrettably, most of these taxa were only briefly described, or are rather fragmentary, and consequently a complete cladistic analysis is beyond the present article.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Agnolín FL, Novas FE (2011) Unenlagiid theropods: are they members of Dromaeosauridae (theropoda, Maniraptora). An Acad Bras Ciênc 83:117–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Allain R, Taquet P (2000) A new genus of Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of France. J Vert Paleont 20:404–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Averianov AO, Sues HD (2007) A new troodontid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Cenomanian of Uzbekistan, with a review of troodontid records from the territories of the former Soviet Union. J Vert Paleontol 27: 87–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barsbold R, Osmólska H (1999) The skull of Velociraptor (Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. Acta Palaeont Pol 44:189–219

    Google Scholar 

  • Buffetaut E, Marandat B, Sigé B (1986) Découverte de dents de Deinonychosaures (Saurischia, Theropoda) dans le Crétacé supérieur du sud de la France. CR Acad Sci Paris 303:1393–1396

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnham D (2008) A review of the early Cretaceous Jehol group and a new paradigm for the origin of flight. Oryctos 7:27–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell KE (2008) The manus of archaeopterygians: implications for avian ancestry. Oryctos 7:13–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Canudo JI, Amo O, Cuenca-Bescós G, Meléndez A, Ruiz-Omeñaca JI, Soria AR (1997) Los vertebrados del Tithónico-Barremiense de Galve (Teruel, España). Cuad Geol. Iber 23:209–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiappe LM, Ji S, Ji Q, Norell MA (1999) Anatomy and systematics of Confuciusornithidae from the Late Mesozoic of northeastern China. Bull Amer Mus Nat Hist 242:1–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie PJ (2000) Theropods from the Cretaceous of Mongolia. Cambridge University Press, The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia. Cambridge, pp 434–455

    Google Scholar 

  • Ezcurra MD (2008) Theropod remains from the latest Cretaceous of Colombia and their implications on the palaeozoogeography of western Gondwana. Cret Res 30: 1339–1344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forster C, Sampson S, Chiappe LM, Krause D (1998) The theropod ancestry of birds: new evidence from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Science 279:1915–1919

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gianechini FA, Apesteguía S (2011) Unenlagiinae revisited: dromaeosaurid theropods from South America. An Acad Bras Ciênc 83:163–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gianechini FA, Apesteguía S, Makovicky PJ (2009) The unusual dentition of Buitreraptor gonzalezorum (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae), from Patagonia, Argentina: new insights on the unenlagine teeth. Ameghiniana 52:36A

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu D, Hou L, Zhang L, Xu X (2009) A pre-Archaeopteryx troodontid theropod from China with long feathers on the metatarsus. Nature 461:640–643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu D, Li L, Hou L, Xu X (2010) A new sapeornithid bird from China and its implications for early avian evolution. Act Geol Sin 84:472–482

    Google Scholar 

  • Hwang SH, Norell MA, Qiang J, Keqin G (2002) New specimens of Microraptor zhaoianus (Theropoda: Dromaeosauridae) from Northeastern China. Amer Mus Novit 3381:1–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ji S, Ji Q (2007) Jinfengopteryx compared to Archaeopteryx, with comments on the mosaic evolution of long-tailed avialan birds. Act Geol Sin 81:337–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ji Q, Ji S, Lu J, You H, Chen W, Liu Y, Liu Y (2005) First avialan bird from China (Jinfengopteryx elegans gen. et sp. nov.). Geol Bull China 24:197–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Loeuff J, Buffetaut E (1998) A new dromaeosaurid theropod from the Upper Cretaceous of southern France. Oryctos 1:105–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Longrich NR, Currie PJ (2008) A microraptorine (Dinosauria-Dromaeosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of North America. PNAS 106:5002–5007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lü J-C, Xu L, Zhang X-L, Ji Q, Jia S-H, Hu W-Y, Zhang J-M, Wu Y-H (2007) New dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan area, western Henan, China. Geol Bull China 26:777–786

    Google Scholar 

  • Makovicky PJ, Apesteguía S, Agnolín FL (2005) The earliest dromaeosaurid theropod from South America. Nature 437:1007–1011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin LD (1991) Mesozoic birds and the origin of birds. In: Schultze HP, Trueb L (eds) Origin of the higher groups of tetrapods. Comstock, Ithaca, N.Y., pp 485–540

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayr G, Pohl B, Hartman S, Peters DS (2007) The tenth skeletal specimen of Archaeopteryx. Zool Jour Lin Soc 149:97–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norell MA, Makovicky PJ (2004) Dromaeosauridae. In: Weishampel DB, Dodson P, Osmolska H (eds) The Dinosauria (2nd edn). University of California Press, Berkeley, pp 196–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Novas FE (2004) Avian traits in the ilium of Unenlagia comahuensis (Maniraptora, Avialae). In: Currie PJ, Koppelhus EB, Shugar MA, Wright JL (eds) Feathered dragons: studies on the transition from dinosaurs to birds. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, pp 150–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Novas FE, Agnolín FL (2004) Unquillosaurus ceibali Powell, a giant maniraptoran (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina. Rev Mus Arg Cienc Nat 6:61–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Osmólska H (1982) Hulsanpes perlei n. g. n. sp. (Deinonychosauria, Saurischia, Dinosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Barun Goyot formation of Mongolia. N Jahr Geol Palaeont 1982:440–448

    Google Scholar 

  • Ostrom JH (1969) Osteology of Deinonychus antirrhopus, an unusual theropod from the Lower Cretaceous of Montana. Bull Peabody Mus Nat Hist 30:1–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul GS (2002) Dinosaurs of the Air. The John Hopkins University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Porfiri JD, Calvo JO, Dos Santos D (2011) A new small deinonychosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. An Acad Bras Ciênc 83:109–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powell JE (1979) Sobre una asociación de dinosaurios y otras evidencias de vertebrados del Cretácico Superior de la región de la Candelaria, Prov. de Salta, Argentina. Ameghiniana 16:191–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauhut OWM (2002) Dinosaur teeth from the Barremian of Una, Province of Cuenca, Spain. Cret Res 23:255–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rauhut OWM (2003) The interrelationships and evolution of basal theropod dinosaurs. Spec Pap Palaeont 69:1–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Senter P, Barsbold R, Britt B, Burnham D (2004) Systematics and evolution of Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda). Bull Gunma Mus Nat Hist 8:1–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Senter P, Kirkland JI, Bird J, Bartlett JA (2010) A new troodontid theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Utah. PLoS ONE 5:e14329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner AH, Pol D, Clarke JA, Erickson GM, Norell MA (2007a) A basal dromaeosaurid and size evolution preceding avian flight. Science 317:1378–1381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner AH, Hwang SH, Norell MA (2007b) A small derived theropod from Oösh, Early Cretaceous, Baykhangor Mongolia. Amer Mus Novit 3557:1–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner AH, Makovicky PJ, Norel MA (2007c) Feather Quill Knobs in the Dinosaur Velociraptor. Science 21317:1721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner AH, Pol D, Norell MA (2011) Anatomy of Mahakala omnogovae (Theropoda: Dromaeosauridae), Tögrögiin Shiree, Mongolia. American Museum Novitates 3722:1–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker AD (1985) The braincase of Archaeopteryx. In: Hecht MK, Ostrom JH, Viohl G, Wellnhofer P (eds) The beginnings of birds: proceedings of the international Archaeopteryx conference, Eichstätt, 1985. Freunde des Jura-Museum Eichstätt, Eichstätt, pp 123–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Witmer LM (1997) The evolution of the antorbital cavity of archosaurs: a study in soft-tissue reconstruction in the fossil record with an analysis of the function of pneumaticity. Soc Vert Palaeont Mem 3:1–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu X (2002) Deinonychosaurian fossils from the Jehol Group of western Liaoning and the coelurosaurian evolution. Dissertation for the doctoral degree. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Norell MK (2004) A new troodontid dinosaur from China with avian-like sleeping posture. Nature 431:838–841

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Wang X-L (2004) A new Dromaeosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Western Liaoning. Vert Palas 42:11–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Zhang F (2005) A new maniraptoran dinosaur from China with long feathers on the metatarsus. Naturwissenschaften 92:173–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Zhao Q, Norell MA, Sullivan C, Hone D, Erickson PG, Wang X, Han F, Guo Y (2008) A new feathered dinosaur fossil that fills a morphological gap in avian origin. Chinese Sci Bull 54:430–435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Choinere J, Pittman M, Tan Q, Xiao D, Li Z, Tan L, Clark J, Norell M, Hone DWE, Sullivan C (2010) A new dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. Zootaxa 2403:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, You H, Du K, Han F (2011) An Archaeopteryx-like theropod from China and the origin of Avialae. Nature 475:465–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan C (2008) A new genus and species of Sapeornithidae from Lower Cretaceous in Western Liaoning, China. Acta Geol Sinica 82:48–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng X, Xu X, You H, Zhao Q, Dong Z (2009) A short-armed dromaeosaurid from the Jehol Group of China with implications for early dromaeosaurid evolution. Proc Royal Soc London B 277:211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Z, Clarke J, Zhang F (2009) Insight into diversity, body size and morphological evolution from the largest Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird. J Anat 212: 565–577.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou ZH, Zhang FC (2002) A long-tailed, seed-eating bird from the Early Cretaceous of China. Nature 418:405–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou ZH, Zhang FC (2003a) Anatomy and systematics of the primitive bird Sapeornis chaoyangensis from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning, China. Canadian J Earth Sci 40:731–747

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou ZH, Zhang FC (2003b) Jeholornis compared to Archaeopteryx, with a new understanding of the earliest avian evolution. Naturwissenschaften 90:220–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zinke J (1998) Small theropod teeth from the Upper Jurassic coal mine of Guimarota (Portugal). Palaont Zeitsch 72:179–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando E. Novas .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Agnolín, F.L., Novas, F.E. (2013). Uncertain Averaptoran Theropods. In: Avian Ancestors. SpringerBriefs in Earth System Sciences. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5637-3_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics