PBDB Taxon

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

Ceratosauria (ceratosaur)

Reptilia

Taxonomy

Cerastosauria was named by Marsh (1884).

It was reranked as the unranked clade Ceratosauria by Gauthier and Padian (1985), Gauthier (1986), Gauthier et al. (1989), Rowe (1989), Rowe and Gauthier (1990), Benton (1990), Osmolska (1990), Novas (1992), Sereno et al. (1994), Holtz (1994), Pérez-Moreno et al. (1994), Sereno (1995), Holtz and Padian (1995), Holtz (1995), Currie (1997), Sereno (1997), Sereno (1998), Holtz (1998), Sampson et al. (1998), Sereno (1999), Holtz (2000), Rauhut (2003), Wilson et al. (2003), Tykoski and Rowe (2004), Rauhut (2004), Yates (2005), Ezcurra (2006), Mateus et al. (2006), Ezcurra and Cuny (2007), Ezcurra et al. (2010), Carrano et al. (2012), Gasparini et al. (2015), Gianechini et al. (2015), Longrich et al. (2017), Poropat et al. (2020), Zaher et al. (2020), Baiano et al. (2020), Delcourt and Iori (2020), Baiano et al. (2021), Méndez et al. (2022) and Giaretta et al. (2023); it was corrected as Ceratosauria by Marsh (1885), Marsh (1895), Marsh (1896), Paul (1988), Bonaparte (1991), Long and Murry (1995), Hendrickx and Mateus (2014) and Pradelli et al. (2024).

It was assigned to Paleotheropoda by Paul (1988); to Theropoda by Marsh (1884), Marsh (1885), Marsh (1895), Marsh (1896), Bonaparte (1991) and Long and Murry (1995); to Theropoda by Benton (1990) and Zaher et al. (2020); to Neotheropoda by Sereno et al. (1994), Sereno (1995), Sereno (1997), Sereno (1998), Holtz (1998), Sampson et al. (1998), Sereno (1999), Holtz (2000), Rauhut (2003), Yates (2005), Mateus et al. (2006), Gianechini et al. (2015) and Baiano et al. (2021); to Theropoda by Gauthier and Padian (1985), Gauthier (1986), Gauthier et al. (1989), Rowe (1989), Rowe and Gauthier (1990), Osmolska (1990), Novas (1992), Holtz (1994), Pérez-Moreno et al. (1994), Holtz and Padian (1995), Holtz (1995), Currie (1997), Wilson et al. (2003), Tykoski and Rowe (2004), Rauhut (2004), Gasparini et al. (2015), Longrich et al. (2017), Poropat et al. (2020), Baiano et al. (2020), Delcourt and Iori (2020), Méndez et al. (2022) and Giaretta et al. (2023); and to Averostra by Ezcurra (2006), Ezcurra and Cuny (2007), Ezcurra et al. (2010), Carrano et al. (2012), Hendrickx and Mateus (2014) and Pradelli et al. (2024).

Subtaxa

Abelisauroidea (syn. Abelisauria), Berberosaurus, Betasuchus, Ceratosauridae (syn. Labrosauridae), Ceratosauroidea, Ceratosaurus, Dolichosuchus, Genyodectes, Megalosaurus meriani, Neoceratosauria, Noasauridae (syn. Velocisauridae), Orthogoniosaurus, Pterospondylus, Saltriovenator, Spinostropheus

Synonyms

Betasuchus was named by Huene (1932).

It was considered a nomen vanum by Russell (1972); it was considered a nomen dubium by Holtz et al. (2004) and Carrano and Sampson (2008).

It was assigned to Coelurosauria by Kuhn (1939); to Ornithomimidae by Romer (1956), Tatarinov (1964), Romer (1966), Steel (1970) and Carroll (1988); and to Ceratosauria by Le Loeuff (1998).
Dolichosuchus was named by Huene (1932). Its type is Dolichosuchus cristatus.

It was considered a nomen vanum by Welles (1984); it was considered a nomen dubium by Rauhut and Hungerbühler (2000) and Tykoski and Rowe (2004).

It was assigned to Coelurosauria by Kuhn (1939); to Procompsognathidae by Romer (1966); to Coeluridae by Kuhn (1971); to Podokesauridae by Romer (1956), Tatarinov (1964), Simmons (1965), Steel (1970), Anderson and Cruickshank (1978) and Battail (1986); and to Coelophysoidea by Carrano and Sampson (2004).
Pterospondylus trielbae was named by Jaekel (1914). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Baerecke-Limpricht clay pit, Halberstadt (bed 18), which is in a Rhaetian floodplain claystone/sandstone in the Trossingen Formation of Germany. It is the type species of Pterospondylus.

It was synonymized subjectively with Procompsognathus triassicus by Kuhn (1971); it was considered a nomen dubium by Ostrom (1981); it was considered a nomen vanum by Welles (1984); it was considered a nomen dubium by Rauhut and Hungerbühler (2000) and Tykoski and Rowe (2004).
Pterospondylus was named by Jaekel (1914). Its type is Pterospondylus trielbae.

It was synonymized subjectively with Procompsognathus by Romer (1956), Tatarinov (1964), Romer (1966), Steel (1970) and Kuhn (1971); it was considered a nomen dubium by Ostrom (1981); it was considered a nomen vanum by Welles (1984); it was considered a nomen dubium by Rauhut and Hungerbühler (2000) and Tykoski and Rowe (2004).

It was assigned to Thecodontosauridae by Huene (1914); to Dinosauria by Jaekel (1914); to Hallopoda by Huene (1920); to Hallopodidae by Nopcsa (1928); to Coelurosauria by Huene (1921) and Kuhn (1939); and to Coelophysoidea by Carrano and Sampson (2004).
Orthogoniosaurus was named by Das-Gupta (1930). Its type is Orthogoniosaurus matleyi.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Walker (1964); it was considered a nomen dubium by Tykoski and Rowe (2004).

It was assigned to Anchisauridae by Das-Gupta (1930); to Carnosauria by Kuhn (1939); to Megalosauridae by Romer (1956); to Tyrannosauridae by Romer (1966); and to Megalosaurinidae by Tatarinov (1964) and Steel (1970).
Orthogoniosaurus matleyi was named by Das-Gupta (1930). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Bara Simla, Jabalpur [Carnosaur Bed], which is in a Maastrichtian terrestrial sandstone in the Lameta Formation of India. It is the type species of Orthogoniosaurus.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Tykoski and Rowe (2004).
Megalosaurus meriani was named by Greppin (1870). Its type specimen is NMB M.H. 350, a tooth, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Basse Montagne Quarry, Moutier, which is in a Kimmeridgian lacustrine - small marl in the Reuchenette Formation of Switzerland.

It was recombined as Labrosaurus meriani by Huene (1926), Kuhn (1939) and Meyer (1990); it was recombined as Ceratosaurus meriani by Olshevsky (2000); it was considered a nomen dubium by Molnar et al. (1990), Holtz et al. (2004) and Carrano et al. (2012).
Megalosaurus bredai was named by Seeley (1883). Its type specimen is BMNH 32997, a limb element (femur), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is near Maastricht (BMNH), which is in a Maastrichtian marine horizon in the Maastricht Formation of the Netherlands.

It was recombined as Ornithomimidorum bredai by Huene (1926); it was recombined as Betasuchus bredai by Huene (1932), Kuhn (1939), Steel (1970), Le Loeuff et al. (1992), Le Loeuff (1998), Buffetaut (2009), Torices et al. (2015) and Isasmendi et al. (2022); it was considered a nomen vanum by Russell (1972); it was considered a nomen dubium by Weishampel et al. (1991), Holtz et al. (2004), Carrano and Sampson (2008) and Carrano (2025).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1870	Megalosaurus meriani Greppin p. 118
1882	Megalosaurus meriani Sauvage p. 8
1883	Megalosaurus bredai Seeley p. 246
1884	Megalosaurus meriani Dames p. 188
1884	Cerastosauria Marsh p. 69
1885	Ceratosauria Marsh p. 765
1887	Megalosaurus meriani Koken p. 9
1888	Megalosaurus bredai Lydekker pp. 168-169 fig. 27
1890	Megalosaurus bredai Zittel p. 724
1892	Megalosaurus bredai Ubaghs p. 27
1895	Ceratosauria Marsh
1896	Ceratosauria Marsh p. 240
1900	Megalosaurus bredai Van Den Broeck p. 83
1901	Megalosaurus meriani Nopcsa p. 200
1901	Megalosaurus bredai Nopcsa p. 201
1909	Megalosaurus bredai Dollo p. 104
1914	Pterospondylus Huene p. 13
1914	Pterospondylus trielbae Huene p. 13
1914	Pterospondylus Jaekel pp. 195-195
1914	Pterospondylus trielbae Jaekel pp. 195-196 fig. 22
1914	Pterospondylus Jaekel p. 196 fig. 22
1914	Pterospondylus trielbae Jaekel p. 196 fig. 22
1915	Megalosaurus bredai Nopcsa p. 16
1920	Pterospondylus Huene p. 162
1921	Pterospondylus Huene p. 315
1921	Pterospondylus trielbae Huene p. 315 fig. 1
1922	Megalosaurus meriani Huene p. 80
1923	Megalosaurus bredai Nopcsa p. 108
1926	Labrosaurus meriani Huene p. 81
1926	Ornithomimidorum bredai Huene p. 88
1928	Megalosaurus bredai Depéret and Savornin pp. 262-263
1928	Pterospondylus Nopcsa p. 183
1930	Orthogoniosaurus Das-Gupta p. 367 fig. 1
1930	Orthogoniosaurus matleyi Das-Gupta p. 367 fig. 1
1930	Orthogoniosaurus Das-Gupta p. 369
1932	Dolichosuchus Huene
1932	Betasuchus Huene pp. 70-71
1932	Betasuchus bredai Huene pp. 70-71
1938	Pterospondylus trielbae Schmidt p. 68
1939	Dolichosuchus Kuhn p. 33
1939	Pterospondylus Kuhn p. 34
1939	Pterospondylus trielbae Kuhn p. 34
1939	Labrosaurus meriani Kuhn p. 43
1939	Betasuchus Kuhn p. 56
1939	Betasuchus bredai Kuhn p. 56
1939	Orthogoniosaurus Kuhn p. 76
1939	Orthogoniosaurus matleyi Kuhn p. 76
1956	Dolichosuchus Romer p. 611
1956	Betasuchus Romer p. 613
1956	Orthogoniosaurus Romer p. 616
1960	Megalosaurus bredai Jeletzky p. 35
1964	Dolichosuchus Tatarinov p. 530
1964	Betasuchus Tatarinov p. 535
1964	Orthogoniosaurus Tatarinov p. 537
1965	Dolichosuchus Simmons p. 57
1966	Betasuchus Romer p. 369
1966	Dolichosuchus Romer p. 369
1966	Orthogoniosaurus Romer p. 369
1970	Dolichosuchus Steel p. 10
1970	Betasuchus Steel p. 19
1970	Betasuchus bredai Steel p. 19
1970	Orthogoniosaurus Steel p. 36
1970	Orthogoniosaurus matleyi Steel p. 36
1971	Megalosaurus bredai Dinca et al. p. 90
1971	Dolichosuchus Kuhn p. 15
1978	Dolichosuchus Anderson and Cruickshank p. 31
1985	Ceratosauria Gauthier and Padian pp. 189-190 fig. 2
1986	Dolichosuchus Battail p. 47
1986	Ceratosauria Gauthier p. 55 fig. 9
1988	Betasuchus Carroll
1988	Ceratosauria Paul p. 255
1989	Ceratosauria Gauthier et al. p. 347
1989	Ceratosauria Rowe
1990	Ceratosauria Benton p. 19
1990	Labrosaurus meriani Meyer p. 395
1990	Ceratosauria Osmolska p. 149
1990	Ceratosauria Rowe and Gauthier p. 152
1991	Ceratosauria Bonaparte p. 22
1992	Betasuchus bredai Le Loeuff et al. p. 337
1992	Ceratosauria Novas p. 140
1994	Ceratosauria Holtz
1994	Ceratosauria Pérez-Moreno et al. p. 184 fig. 1
1994	Ceratosauria Sereno et al. p. 268 fig. 3
1995	Ceratosauria Holtz, Jr. p. 35A
1995	Ceratosauria Holtz, Jr. and Padian p. 35A
1995	Ceratosauria Long and Murry p. 186
1995	Ceratosauria Sereno p. 52A
1997	Ceratosauria Currie p. 732
1997	Ceratosauria Sereno p. 444
1998	Ceratosauria Holtz, Jr. p. 39
1998	Betasuchus Le Loeuff p. 53
1998	Betasuchus bredai Le Loeuff p. 53
1998	Ceratosauria Sampson et al. p. 1050 fig. 3
1998	Ceratosauria Sereno p. 64
1999	Ceratosauria Sereno p. 2138 fig. 2
2000	Ceratosauria Holtz, Jr. p. 14
2000	Ceratosaurus meriani Olshevsky p. 106
2003	Ceratosauria Rauhut p. 135
2003	Ceratosauria Wilson et al.
2004	Dolichosuchus Carrano and Sampson p. 551
2004	Pterospondylus Carrano and Sampson p. 551
2004	Ceratosauria Rauhut p. 895
2004	Ceratosauria Tykoski and Rowe p. 48
2005	Ceratosauria Yates p. 118 fig. 9
2006	Ceratosauria Ezcurra p. 657 fig. 3
2006	Ceratosauria Mateus et al. p. 123
2007	Ceratosauria Ezcurra and Cuny p. 78 fig. 6
2009	Betasuchus bredai Buffetaut
2010	Ceratosauria Ezcurra et al. p. 14 fig. 8
2012	Ceratosauria Carrano et al. p. 248 fig. 7
2014	Ceratosauria Hendrickx and Mateus
2015	Ceratosauria Gasparini et al.
2015	Ceratosauria Gianechini et al. p. 2
2015	Betasuchus bredai Torices et al. p. 615
2017	Ceratosauria Longrich et al.
2020	Ceratosauria Baiano et al.
2020	Ceratosauria Delcourt and Iori
2020	Ceratosauria Poropat et al. p. 284
2020	Ceratosauria Zaher et al.
2021	Ceratosauria Baiano et al.
2022	Betasuchus bredai Isasmendi et al. p. 23
2022	Ceratosauria Méndez et al. p. 2
2023	Ceratosauria Giaretta et al.
2024	Ceratosauria Pradelli et al.

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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

Rank	Name	Author
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Dinosauromorpha
—	Dinosauriformes
—	Dinosauria	()
—	Theropoda	()
—	Neotheropoda
—	Averostra	Paul 2002
suborder	Ceratosauria	()
suborder	Ceratosauria	()

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.

Subor. †Ceratosauria Marsh 1884 [ceratosaur]

show all | hide all

Superfm. †Abelisauroidea Bonaparte 1991

Fm. †Abelisauridae Bonaparte and Novas 1985

Unr. †Brachyrostra Canale et al. 2008

G. †Aucasaurus Coria et al. 2002

†Aucasaurus garridoi Coria et al. 2002

G. †Dahalokely Farke and Sertich 2013

†Dahalokely tokana Farke and Sertich 2013

G. †Ekrixinatosaurus Calvo et al. 2004

†Ekrixinatosaurus novasi Calvo et al. 2004

Unr. †Furileusauria Filippi et al. 2016

Subfm. †Abelisaurinae Paul 1988

G. †Carnotaurus Bonaparte 1985

G. †Elemgasem Baiano et al. 2022

G. †Llukalkan Gianechini et al. 2021

G. †Pycnonemosaurus Kellner and Campos 2002

G. †Quilmesaurus Coria 2001

G. †Viavenator Filippi et al. 2016

G. †Guemesia Agnolín et al. 2021

†Guemesia ochoai Agnolín et al. 2021

G. †Ilokelesia Coria and Salgado 2000

†Ilokelesia aguadagrandensis Coria and Salgado 2000

G. †Rahiolisaurus Novas et al. 2010

†Rahiolisaurus gujaratensis Novas et al. 2010

G. †Skorpiovenator Canale et al. 2008 [scorpion hunter]

†Skorpiovenator bustingorryi Canale et al. 2008

G. †Thanos Delcourt and Iori 2020

†Thanos simonattoi Delcourt and Iori 2020

Invalid names: Carnotaurini Coria et al. 2002 [empty]

Subfm. †Carnotaurinae Sereno 1998

Tr. †Majungasaurini Tortosa et al. 2014

G. †Arcovenator Tortosa et al. 2014

G. †Genusaurus Accarie et al. 1995

G. †Indosaurus Huene 1933

G. †Majungasaurus Lavocat 1955

Invalid names: Majungatholus Sues and Taquet 1979 [synonym]

G. †Rajasaurus Wilson et al. 2003

G. †Indosuchus Huene 1933

†Indosuchus raptorius Huene 1933

G. †Kryptops Sereno and Brusatte 2008

†Kryptops palaios Sereno and Brusatte 2008

G. Kurupi Iori et al. 2021

†Kurupi itaata Iori et al. 2021

G. †Lametasaurus Matley 1924

†Lametasaurus indicus Matley 1924

G. †Rugops Sereno et al. 2004

†Rugops primus Sereno et al. 2004

G. †Spectrovenator Zaher et al. 2020

†Spectrovenator ragei Zaher et al. 2020

G. †Tarascosaurus Le Loeuff and Buffetaut 1991

†Tarascosaurus salluvicus Le Loeuff and Buffetaut 1991

G. †Tralkasaurus Cerroni et al. 2020

†Tralkasaurus cuyi Cerroni et al. 2020

G. †Xenotarsosaurus Martínez et al. 1986

†Xenotarsosaurus bonapartei Martínez et al. 1986

Invalid names: Coeluroides Huene 1933 [nomen dubium], Dryptosauroides Huene 1933 [nomen dubium], Megalosaurus chubutensis del Corro 1974 [nomen dubium], Ornithomimoides Huene 1933 [nomen dubium]

G. †Eoabelisaurus Pol and Rauhut 2012

†Eoabelisaurus mefi Pol and Rauhut 2012

Fm. †Vitakrisauridae Malkani 2010

G. †Samanadrinda Malkani 2007

†Samanadrinda surghari Malkani 2007

Subfm. †Vitakrisaurinae Malkani 2010

G. †Vitakridrinda Malkani 2004

†Vitakridrinda sulaimani Malkani 2004

G. †Vitakrisaurus Malkani 2010

†Vitakrisaurus saraiki Malkani 2010

Invalid names: Rajasaurinae Malkani 2010 [empty]

Invalid names: Abelisauria Novas 1992 [synonym]

G. †Berberosaurus Allain et al. 2007

†Berberosaurus liassicus Allain et al. 2007

Fm. †Ceratosauridae Marsh 1884

G. †Fosterovenator Dalman 2014

†Fosterovenator churei Dalman 2014

Invalid names: Ceratosaurus roechlingi Janensch 1925 [nomen dubium], Labrosauridae Marsh 1882 [synonym]

Superfm. †Ceratosauroidea Novas?

Unr. †Etrigansauria Delcourt 2018

G. †Chenanisaurus Longrich et al. 2017

†Chenanisaurus barbaricus Longrich et al. 2017

G. †Ceratosaurus Marsh 1884

†Ceratosaurus nasicornis Marsh 1884

Invalid names: Ceratosaurus dentisulcatus Madsen Jr. and Welles 2000 [synonym], Ceratosaurus magnicornis Madsen Jr. and Welles 2000 [synonym]

Invalid names: Ceratosaurus stechowi Janensch 1920 [nomen dubium]

G. †Genyodectes Woodward 1901

†Genyodectes serus Woodward 1901

Fm. †Noasauridae Bonaparte and Powell 1980

G. †Austrocheirus Ezcurra et al. 2010

†Austrocheirus isasii Ezcurra et al. 2010

G. †Berthasaura de Souza et al. 2021

†Berthasaura leopoldinae de Souza et al. 2021

G. †Deltadromeus Sereno et al. 1996

†Deltadromeus agilis Sereno et al. 1996

Subfm. †Elaphrosaurinae Rauhut and Carrano 2016

G. †Elaphrosaurus Janensch 1920

†Elaphrosaurus bambergi Janensch 1920

G. †Limusaurus Xu et al. 2009

†Limusaurus inextricabilis Xu et al. 2009

G. †Himalayadrinda Malkani 2015

†Himalayadrinda potwari Malkani 2015

G. †Huinculsaurus Baiano et al. 2020

†Huinculsaurus montesi Baiano et al. 2020

G. †Laevisuchus Huene 1933

†Laevisuchus indicus Huene 1933

G. †Ligabueino Bonaparte 1996

†Ligabueino andesi Bonaparte 1996

Subfm. †Noasaurinae Paul 1988

G. †Masiakasaurus Sampson et al. 2001

†Masiakasaurus knopfleri Sampson et al. 2001

G. †Noasaurus Bonaparte and Powell 1980

†Noasaurus leali Bonaparte and Powell 1980

G. †Velocisaurus Bonaparte 1991

†Velocisaurus unicus Bonaparte 1991

G. †Vespersaurus Langer et al. 2019

†Vespersaurus paranaensis Langer et al. 2019

Invalid names: Compsosuchus Huene 1933 [nomen dubium], Jubbulpuria Huene 1933 [nomen dubium], Ornithomimoides barasimlensis Huene 1933 [nomen dubium], Velocisauridae Bonaparte 1991 [synonym]

G. †Saltriovenator Dal Sasso et al. 2018

†Saltriovenator zanellai Dal Sasso et al. 2018

G. †Spinostropheus Sereno et al. 2004

†Spinostropheus gautieri Lapparent 1960

Invalid names: Betasuchus Huene 1932 [nomen dubium], Dolichosuchus Huene 1932 [nomen dubium], Megalosaurus meriani Greppin 1870 [nomen dubium], Neoceratosauria Novas 1991 [empty], Orthogoniosaurus Das-Gupta 1930 [nomen dubium], Pterospondylus Jaekel 1914 [nomen dubium]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available