Saurischia
Theropoda
Tetanurae
Coelurosauria
Maniraptoriformes
Maniraptora
Alvarezsauridae
Pronunciation: al-VAH-rez-SOR-uh-day
Author: Bonaparte
Year: 1991
Meaning: Alvarez' lizards (see etymology)
Locomotion: Bipedal (2 legs)
Synonyms: None known
Author: Bonaparte
Year: 1991
Meaning: Alvarez' lizards (see etymology)
Locomotion: Bipedal (2 legs)
Synonyms: None known
[Sereno, 2005]Definition
The most inclusive clade containing Shuvuuia deserti but not Ornithomimus edmontonicus, Tyrannosaurus rex, Therizinosaurus cheloniformis, Oviraptor philoceratops, Troodon formosus and Passer domesticus (House Sparrow).
About
Click here to view Dinochecker's A-Z list of alvarezsaurids.
Etymology
Alvarezsauridae is derived from Don Gregorio Alvarez (after whom Alvarezsaurus was named), and the Greek "sauros" (lizard) and "-idae" (family).
Relationships
References
• Bonaparte JF (1991) "Los vertebrados fósiles de la Formación Rio Colorado, de la Ciudad de Neuquén y Cercanías, Cretácico Superior, Argentina" [The vertebrate fossils of the Rio Colorado Formation, from the city of Neuquén and surrounding areas, Upper Cretaceous, Argentina]. Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia e Instituto Nacional de Investigación de las Ciencias Naturales. Paleontología 4(3): 17-123.
• Chiappe LM, Norell MA and Clark JM (2002) "The Cretaceous, short-armed Alvarezsauridae: Mononykus and its kin" in Chiappe (ed.) "Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs".
• Holtz TR Jr. (2007) "Ornithomimosaurs and Alvarezsaurs". The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages.
• Meso JG, Qin Z, Pittman M, Canale JI, Salgado L and Díez Díaz V (2021)
"Tail anatomy of the Alvarezsauria (Theropoda, Coelurosauria), and its functional and behavioural implications".
Cretaceous Research, 124(7): 104830. DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104830
• Averianov A and Sues H-D (2017) "The oldest record of Alvarezsauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) in the Northern Hemisphere". PLoS ONE12(10): e0186254. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186254
• Geoffrey Guinard (2022) "The forelimbs of Alvarezsauroidea (Dinosauria: Theropoda): insight from evolutionary teratology".
Journal of Morphology (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21500
• Qin Z, Liao CC, Benton MJ and Rayfield EJ (2023) "Functional space analyses reveal the function and evolution of the most bizarre theropod manual unguals".
Communications Biology, 6(181).
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04552-4.
