Dinosaur Names

Dinosaur Names

While scientific names normally are binominal, such as Vombatus Ursinus or Homo sapiens (Homo is the genus name and sapiens is the species name), for dinosaur names only the genus name is often used in popular literature. If several species of the same genus have been discovered, both genus and species names are used.

Saurischia (the earliest, lizard hipped dinosaurs):

      Sauropodomorpha (plant eaters):

           Prosauropoda (primitive long-necked plant eaters)

                Massospondylidae (long bones in the neck)
                Plateosauridae (medium size)
                Melanorosauridae (large)
                Anchisauridae (small)

           Sauropoda

                Vulcanodontidae (primitive)
                Macronaria (big norstrils)
                Diplodocidae (long neck and whip tail)
                Euhelopodidae (very long neck)
                Dicraeosauridae (tall spines on the backbone)
                Cetiosauridae (solid vertebrae)

      Theropoda (meat eaters):
           Herrerasauridae (primitive)
           Coelophysoidea (long and sleek)
           Neoceratosauria (head crest)
           Tetanurae (stiff tail)

                Spinosauria (crocodile jaws, sail on back)
                Carnosauria (widespread meat-eaters)
                Coelurosauria (lightweight bones)
                     Compsognathidae (small)
                     Troodontidae (killing claw on the toe)
                     Ornithomimosauria (ostrich-like)
                     Oviraptorosauria (toothless beak)
                     Alvarezsauria (stunted forelimbs)
                     Deinonychosauria (big killing claw on the second toe)
                     Tyrannosauroidea (late-evolving, large)

Ornithischia (Bird-hipped dinosaurs, all plant eaters)

      Fabrosauridae (primitive)

      Heterodontosauridae (different-size teeth)

      Thyreophora (armoured)
           Stegosauria (plated back)
           Ankylosauria (armoured back)
                Nodosauridae (spikes along the sides)
                Ankylosauridae (broad snout)
                     Ankylosaurinae (clubs on the end of the tail)
                     Polacanthidae (spikes on the shoulders and shields on the hips)

      Marginocephalia (horns and shield around the skull)
           Pachycephalosauria (boneheads)
           Ceratopsia (hornheads)
                Neoceratopisia (early, two-footed hornheads)
                     Ceratopsidae (big horned head)
                          Centrosaurinae (single horn on the nose)
                          Ceratopsinae (horns over the eyes)
                               Chasmosaurini (very large neck frill)

      Ornithopoda (bird-footed plant-eaters)
           Hypsilophodontidae (small)
           Iguanodontidae (heavy)
                Hardosauridea (duck bill)
                     Lambeosaurinae (hollow crest)
                     Hadrosaurinae (solid crest, or no crest)
                          Edmontosaurini (no crest)
                          Maiasaurini (broad, solid crest above the eyes)
                          Saurolophini (pointed crest at the top of the skull)
                          Hadrosaurini (bulbous nose)

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