This section contains information about classifications of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are divided into two orders based on their hip structure: Saurischia and Ornithischia. If there's something that you'd like to see me add to this page, please feel free to contact me!
Saurischia
Saurischia are "lizard-hipped" dinosaurs. All carnivorous dinosaurs and some herbivorous dinosaurs are saurischians. Modern birds, because they evolved from one group of theropod dinosaurs, are are considered to be a sub-clade of saurischian dinosaurs!
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TheropodaTheropods were bipedal dinosaurs who were primarily carnivorous. Theropods first appeared during the late Triassic period. Fossil records indicate that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic! Some examples of theropods include: Coelophysis, Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, Velociraptor, and Giganotosaurus. SauropodomorphaSauropodomorpha were a group of long-necked herbivores. Initially, Sauropodomorpha were bipedal but they later became quadrupeds as their size increased. Sauropodomorpha includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land! Some examples include: Lufengosaurus, Jingshanosaurus, Diplodocus, Argentinosaurus, Brachiosaurus, and Apatosaurus. |
Ornithischia
Ornithischia is an extinct order of beaked, herbivorous dinosaurs. They are known as the "bird-hipped" dinosaurs because of their bird-like hip structure. Ornithischians were more numerous than the saurischians and sometimes lived in herds.
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ThyreophoraThyreophora were armored, herbivorous dinosaurs who lived from the Early Jurassic until the Late Cretaceous. Some examples of Thyreophora dinosaurs include: Stegosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and Edmontonia. CerapodaCerapoda can be divided into three groups: Ornithopoda ("bird-foot"), Pachycephalosauria ("thick-headed lizards"), and Ceratopsia ("horned-face"). These three groups of dinosaurs are united by having a thicker layer of asymmetrical enamel on the inside of their lower teeth that wore unevenly and developed ridges that allowed cerapods to break down tougher plant food than other dinosaurs. Some examples of cerapods include: Iguanodon, Corythosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, and Triceratops. |
