PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Caenagnathidae

Reptilia - Caenagnathidae

Taxonomy

Caenagnathidae was named by Sternberg (1940). Its type is Caenagnathus. It was considered monophyletic by Currie (2000).

It was synonymized subjectively with Ornithomimidae by Brodkorb (1978).

It was assigned to Coelurosauria by Romer (1966); to Caenagnathiformes by Sternberg (1940), Kuhn (1966), Cracraft (1971); to Theropoda by Thulborn (1984); to Maniraptora by Gauthier (1986); to Protoavia by Paul (1988); to Coelurosauria by Gauthier et al. (1989); to Coelurosauria by Novas (1992), Dong (1992), Sereno et al. (1994), Currie (1995); to Oviraptoroidea by Maryanska et al. (2002); to Caenagnathoidea by Osmólska et al. (2004), Longrich et al. (2013), Lamanna et al. (2014), Lü et al. (2015), Yao et al. (2015), Tsuihiji et al. (2017), Funston et al. (2018); and to Oviraptorosauria by Barsbold (1981), Barsbold (1983), Russell (1984), Currie and Russell (1988), Osmolska (1990), Currie (1992), Currie et al. (1994), Sues (1994), Sues (1997), Sereno (1997), Barsbold (1997), Sereno (1998), Makovicky and Sues (1998), Holtz (2000), Currie (2000), Varricchio (2001), Rauhut (2003), Lü et al. (2005), Lü and Zhang (2005), Longrich et al. (2010), Sues and Averianov (2015), Tsuihiji et al. (2015), Pu et al. (2017), Yu et al. (2018), Funston et al. (2020), Funston (2020).

Subtaxa

Anomalipes, Beibeilong, Caenagnathinae, Chirostenotes (syn. Macrophalangia), Elmisaurinae, Eoneophron, Gigantoraptor, Leptorhynchos, Microvenator, Ojoraptorsaurus, Ojoraptorsaurus boerei

Synonyms

Ojoraptorsaurus was named by Sullivan et al. (2011).

It was considered a nomen dubium by Funston et al. (2024).

It was assigned to Caenagnathidae by Jasinski et al. (2011), Sullivan et al. (2011), Lamanna et al. (2014), Lü et al. (2015), Jasinski (2015).
Ojoraptorsaurus boerei was named by Sullivan et al. (2011). Its type specimen is SMP VP-1458, a set of postcrania (paired pubes), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is SMP Loc. 384b, De-na-zin Microsite (S), which is in a Maastrichtian terrestrial horizon in the Ojo Alamo Formation of New Mexico.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Funston et al. (2024).
Elmisauridae was named by Osmolska (1981).

It was synonymized subjectively with Caenagnathidae by Currie and Russell (1988), Sues (1994), Sues (1997), Barsbold (1997), Currie (2000), Rauhut (2003), Funston et al. (2021).

It was assigned to Coelurosauria by Osmolska (1981); to Coelurosauria by Barsbold (1983); to Theropoda by Carroll (1988), Currie (1989); to Arctometatarsalia by Holtz (1994); to Maniraptora by Gauthier (1986), Benton (1990), Osmolska (1990), Currie (1997); and to Oviraptorosauria by Currie (1992), Varricchio (2001).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1940	Caenagnathidae Sternberg p. 81
1966	Caenagnathidae Kuhn p. 107
1966	Caenagnathidae Romer p. 369
1971	Caenagnathidae Cracraft p. 806
1981	Caenagnathidae Barsbold
1981	Elmisauridae Osmolska p. 80
1983	Elmisauridae Barsbold p. 86
1983	Caenagnathidae Barsbold p. 93
1984	Caenagnathidae Russell p. 28
1984	Caenagnathidae Thulborn p. 132
1986	Caenagnathidae Gauthier p. 55 fig. 9
1986	Elmisauridae Gauthier p. 55 fig. 9
1988	Elmisauridae Carroll
1988	Caenagnathidae Currie and Russell
1988	Caenagnathidae Paul p. 372
1989	Elmisauridae Currie
1989	Caenagnathidae Gauthier et al. p. 348
1990	Elmisauridae Benton p. 19
1990	Caenagnathidae Osmolska p. 149
1990	Elmisauridae Osmolska p. 149
1992	Caenagnathidae Currie p. 239
1992	Elmisauridae Currie p. 239
1992	Caenagnathidae Dong p. 164
1992	Caenagnathidae Novas p. 147
1994	Caenagnathidae Currie et al.
1994	Elmisauridae Holtz
1994	Caenagnathidae Sereno et al. p. 270
1994	Caenagnathidae Sues p. 48A
1995	Caenagnathidae Currie p. 25A
1997	Caenagnathidae Barsbold p. 505
1997	Elmisauridae Currie p. 733
1997	Caenagnathidae Sereno p. 457
1997	Caenagnathidae Sues p. 699
1998	Caenagnathidae Makovicky and Sues p. 16 fig. 15
1998	Caenagnathidae Sereno p. 65
2000	Caenagnathidae Currie p. 437
2000	Caenagnathidae Holtz, Jr. p. 13 fig. 5
2001	Caenagnathidae Varricchio p. 46
2001	Elmisauridae Varricchio p. 48
2002	Caenagnathidae Maryanska et al. p. 104 fig. 1
2003	Caenagnathidae Rauhut p. 41
2004	Caenagnathidae Osmólska et al. p. 166
2005	Caenagnathidae Lü et al. p. 257
2005	Caenagnathidae Lü and Zhang p. 417
2010	Caenagnathidae Longrich et al. p. 953 fig. 7
2011	Ojoraptorsaurus Jasinski et al. p. 228
2011	Ojoraptorsaurus boerei Jasinski et al. p. 228
2011	Ojoraptorsaurus Sullivan et al. p. 418
2011	Ojoraptorsaurus boerei Sullivan et al. p. 418–419 figs. 1-5A
2013	Caenagnathidae Longrich et al. p. 41 fig. 14
2014	Caenagnathidae Lamanna et al. p. 10 fig. 6
2014	Ojoraptorsaurus Lamanna et al. p. 10 fig. 6
2014	Ojoraptorsaurus boerei Lamanna et al. p. 10 fig. 6
2015	Ojoraptorsaurus Jasinski p. 79
2015	Ojoraptorsaurus boerei Jasinski p. 79
2015	Caenagnathidae Lü et al.
2015	Ojoraptorsaurus Lü et al.
2015	Caenagnathidae Sues and Averianov
2015	Caenagnathidae Tsuihiji et al. p. 60
2015	Caenagnathidae Yao et al. p. 297
2016	Ojoraptorsaurus boerei Funston and Currie p. 13
2017	Caenagnathidae Pu et al.
2017	Caenagnathidae Tsuihiji et al. p. 9
2018	Caenagnathidae Funston et al. p. 107
2018	Caenagnathidae Yu et al.
2020	Caenagnathidae Funston p. 136 fig. 20
2020	Caenagnathidae Funston et al. p. 9 fig. 6

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida

Rank	Name	Author
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Dinosauromorpha
—	Dinosauriformes
—	Dinosauria	()
—	Theropoda	()
—	Neotheropoda
—	Averostra	Paul 2002
—	Tetanurae
—	Coelurosauria	()
—	Maniraptora
infraorder	Oviraptorosauria
family	Caenagnathidae
family	Caenagnathidae

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. †Caenagnathidae Sternberg 1940

show all | hide all

G. †Anomalipes Yu et al. 2018

hide

†Anomalipes zhaoi Yu et al. 2018

G. †Beibeilong Pu et al. 2017

hide

†Beibeilong sinensis Pu et al. 2017

Subfm. †Caenagnathinae Paul 1988

hide

G. †Anzu Lamanna et al. 2014 [chicken from hell]

†Anzu wyliei Lamanna et al. 2014 [chicken from hell]

G. †Apatoraptor Funston and Currie 2016

†Apatoraptor pennatus Funston and Currie 2016

G. †Caenagnathasia Currie et al. 1994

†Caenagnathasia martinsoni Currie et al. 1994

G. †Caenagnathus Sternberg 1940

†Caenagnathus collinsi Sternberg 1940

G. †Citipes Funston 2020

†Citipes elegans Parks 1933

G. †Elmisaurus Osmolska 1981

†Elmisaurus rarus Osmolska 1981

Invalid names: Nomingia gobiensis Barsbold et al. 2000 [synonym]

Invalid names: Nomingia Barsbold et al. 2000 [synonym]

G. †Epichirostenotes Sullivan et al. 2011

†Epichirostenotes curriei Sullivan et al. 2011

G. †Hagryphus Zanno and Sampson 2005

†Hagryphus giganteus Zanno and Sampson 2005

G. †Chirostenotes Gilmore 1924

hide

†Chirostenotes pergracilis Gilmore 1924

Invalid names: Caenagnathus sternbergi Cracraft 1971 [synonym], Macrophalangia canadensis Sternberg 1932 [synonym]

Invalid names: Macrophalangia Sternberg 1932 [synonym]

G. †Eoneophron Atkins-Weltman et al. 2024

hide

†Eoneophron infernalis Atkins-Weltman et al. 2024

G. †Gigantoraptor Xu et al. 2007

hide

†Gigantoraptor erlianensis Xu et al. 2007

G. †Leptorhynchos Longrich et al. 2013

hide

†Leptorhynchos elegans Parks 1933

†Leptorhynchos gaddisi Longrich et al. 2013

G. †Microvenator Ostrom 1970

hide

†Microvenator celer Ostrom 1970

†Microvenator chagyabi Zhao 1986

Invalid names: Elmisauridae Osmolska 1981 [synonym], Elmisaurinae Currie 2000 [empty], Ojoraptorsaurus Sullivan et al. 2011 [nomen dubium], Ojoraptorsaurus boerei Sullivan et al. 2011 [nomen dubium]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
H. Osmolska 1981 (Elmisauridae)	Lightly built, medium sized theropods with very thin-walled limb bones. Manus slender, anisotridactyl with long digits; second digit the longest and strongest, with phalanges 1 and 2 equally long; the third digit distinctly thinner than others, unguals laterally compressed and curved, with a dorsoposterior "lip." Pes long and slender, functionally tridactyl and with abbreviated first digit; metatarsal III edged between adjoining metatarsals but anteriorly visible for most of its length; third digit the longest, second and fourth digits subequal in length, unguals recurved.
R. Barsbold 1981	Moderately large oviraptorosaurs, the lower jaw of which is elongated and concave in the occlusal part, low adductoral projection, elongated symphysis and narrowed lateral opening.
H.-D. Sues 1997	Antorbital fossa on maxilla with pronounced rim. Medial wall of antorbital fossa extensive and without accessory antorbital fenestra. Mandible with long, low, and undivided external mandibular fenestra. Braincase much deeper than long, with distinctly verticalized basicranial region. Otic region with deep but anteroposteriorly narrow lateral depression. Manual digit III longer than digit I and with very slender phalanges. Synsacrum composed of six co-ossified vertebrae with pneumatic foramina. Proximal end of metatarsal III distinctly constricted and pinched between metatarsals II and IV.