Theropoda

{use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}

Theropoda Temporal range: Late Triassic – Present, 231.4–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Carnotaurus (a ceratosaur) Coelophysis (a coelophysoid) Tyrannosaurus (a tyrannosauroid) Irritator (a megalosauroid) Struthiomimus (an ornithomimosaur) Archaeopteryx (a maniraptoran) Stork
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Eusaurischia
Clade:	Theropoda Marsh, 1881
Subgroups[1]
†Alwalkeria? †Caseosaurus? †Chilesaurus? †Chindesaurus? †Daemonosaurus? †Eodromaeus †Erythrovenator †Nyasasaurus? †Tawa? †Velocipes? †Herrerasauridae? Neotheropoda Bakker, 1986 †Chuandongocoelurus †Cryolophosaurus †Dilophosaurus †Dracovenator †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"] whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally carnivorous, although a number of theropod groups evolved to become herbivores and omnivores. 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 at least the close of the Cretaceous, about 66 Ma. In the Jurassic, birds evolved from small specialized coelurosaurian theropods, and are today represented by about 11,000 living species.