Megalosauridae
Megalosauridae is a monophyletic family of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs in the order Megalosauroidea. They appeared in the Middle Jurassic,
| Megalosaurids | |
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| Skeletal mount of Torvosaurus tanneri, Museum of Ancient Life | |
Scientific classification 
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| Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Megalosauria |
| Family: | Megalosauridae Huxley, 1869 |
| Type species | |
| †Megalosaurus bucklandii Mantell, 1827
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| Subgroups | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Torvosauridae Jensen, 1985 | |
They are closely related to the family Spinosauridae. Some members of this family include Megalosaurus, Torvosaurus, Eustreptospondylus, and Afrovenator.
Megalosaurids were among the first major adaptive radiations of large theropod dinosaurs, but they became extinct by the end of the Jurassic period.[1] They were a relatively primitive group of basal tetanurans with two main subfamilies, Megalosaurinae and Afrovenatorinae.
The basal genus Eustreptospondylus differs from both subfamilies. Its position is unclear
Megalosauridae Media
Scale comparison of 3 afrovenatorines
Megalosaurid skulls. Clockwise from top left: Dubreuillosaurus, Torvosaurus, Afrovenator, Megalosaurus, Eustreptospondylus
Tooth from Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus femur
Life reconstruction of Torvosaurus tanneri. Based on Hartman.
Eustreptospondylus Reconstruction flipped for use in cladograms, etc.
Magnosaurus reconstruction flipped for use in cladograms and such.
Duriavenator reconstruction flipped for use in cladograms and such.
Afrovenator_Abakensis_by_PaleoGeek
Dubreuillosaurus NT Flipped
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References
- ↑ Benson, R.B.J (2010). "A description of Megalosaurus bucklandii (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Bathonian of the UK and the relationships of Middle Jurassic theropods". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 158 (4): 882–935. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00569.x. S2CID 84266680.