Theropoda

Theropoda Temporal range: Late Triassic – Present, including birds 233.2–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
The theropods (clockwise from top left) Carnotaurus, Coelophysis, Irritator, Archaeopteryx, Struthiomimus and Tyrannosaurus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda Marsh, 1881
Subgroups[1]
†Alwalkeria? †Caseosaurus? †Chilesaurus? †Chindesaurus? †Daemonosaurus? †Eodromaeus? †Erythrovenator †Nyasasaurus? †Tawa? †Velocipes †Herrerasauridae? Neotheropoda Bakker, 1986 †Chuandongocoelurus †Cryolophosaurus †Dilophosaurus †Dracovenator †Gojirasaurus? †Notatesseraeraptor †Sarcosaurus †Sinosaurus †Spinostropheus †Tachiraptor †Zupaysaurus †Coelophysoidea Averostra Paul, 2002 †Ceratosauria Tetanurae Theropods of uncertain affinity †Austrocheirus †Bahariasaurus †Camarillasaurus †Chilantaisaurus †Coeluroides †Compsosuchus †Dandakosaurus †Deltadromeus †Dornraptor †Gualicho †Kakuru †Labocania †Orthogoniosaurus †Ostafrikasaurus †Ozraptor †Shuangbaisaurus †Szechuanosaurus †Wakinosaurus †Xuanhanosaurus

Theropoda (/θɪəˈrɒpədə/;^[2] from ancient Greek θηρίο- ποδός [θηρίον, (therion) "wild beast"; πούς, ποδός (pous, podos) "foot"]) is one of the three major groups (clades) of dinosaurs, alongside Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha. Theropods, both extant and extinct, are characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. They are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs, placing them closer to sauropodomorphs than to ornithischians. They were ancestrally carnivorous, although a number of theropod groups evolved to become herbivores and omnivores. Members of the subgroup Coelurosauria and possibly some other or all theropods were covered in feathers. In the Jurassic, birds evolved from small specialized coelurosaurian theropods, and are currently represented by about 11,000 living species, making theropods the only group of dinosaurs alive today.

Theropods first appeared during the Carnian age of the late Triassic period 231.4 million years ago (Ma)^[3] and included the majority of large terrestrial carnivores from the Early Jurassic until the end of the Cretaceous, about 66 Ma, including the largest terrestrial carnivorous animals ever, such as Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus, though non-avian theropods exhibited considerable size diversity, with some non-avian theropods like scansoriopterygids being no bigger than small birds.