Pronunciation: tro-wuh-don-tuh-day
Author: Gilmore
Year: 1924
Meaning: Wounding tooth family (see etymology)
Locomotion: Bipedal (two legs)
Synonyms: Saurornithoididae (Barsbold, 1974)
Author: Gilmore
Year: 1924
Meaning: Wounding tooth family (see etymology)
Locomotion: Bipedal (two legs)
Synonyms: Saurornithoididae (Barsbold, 1974)
[Sereno, 2005]Definition
The most inclusive clade containing Troodon formosus Leidy 1856 but not Velociraptor mongoliensis, Ornithomimus edmontonicus and Passer domesticus.
About
Troodontidae is a group of bipedal, probably feathered, theropod dinosaurs that are renowned for their small body size but relatively large brain, and are widely hypothesized to be among the closest extinct relatives of birds.
Like dromaeosaurids, troodontids (members of Troodontidae) were "didactyl", meaning they walked on only two toes. They had a third toe (which, funnily enough, was actually the "second" toe or digit II) that was adorned with a curved, so-called "killing claw". But it was held clear of the ground to keep it in tip-top shape.
Click here to search Dinochecker for troodontids.
Etymology
Troodontidae is derived from the Greek "troo" (wound, injure, pierce) and "odon" (tooth), and the Latin "idae" (family), named for the group anchor Troodon who was named for its curved teeth with jagged, upwards-pointing serrations. Funnily enough, that kind of teeth are common in herbivores, and the teeth of some troodontids lack serrations altogether.
Relationships
References
• Leidy J (1856) "Notices of remains of extinct reptiles and fishes, discovered by Dr. F. V. Hayden in the bad lands of the Judith River, Nebraska Territory". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 8(7): 72-73.
• Holtz TR Jr, Brinkman DL and Chandler CL (1998) "Denticle morphometrics and a possibly omnivorous feeding habit for the theropod dinosaur Troodon". GAIA - Ecological Perspectives on Science and Society, 15: 159-166
• Makovicky PJ and MA Norell (2004) "Troodontidae". In Weishampel, Dodson and
Osmólska (eds.) "The Dinosauria: Second Edition".
• Currie PJ and E.B Koppelhus (2005) "Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed".
• Cullen TM and Cousens BL (2023)
"New biogeochemical insights into Mesozoic terrestrial paleoecology and evidence for omnivory in troodontid dinosaurs".
GSA Bulletin.
DOI: 10.1130/B37077.1.
