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Alvarezsauridae
Taxonomy
Alvarezsauridae was named by Bonaparte (1991). Its type is Alvarezsaurus.
It was assigned to Ornithomimoidea by Sereno (1999); to Metornithes by Chiappe et al. (1996), Novas (1996), Chiappe (1996), Novas (1997), Ji et al. (1999), Holtz (2000) and Chiappe et al. (2002); to Coelurosauria by Novas and Pol (2002); to Avialae by Padian (2004); to Alvarezsauroidea by Choiniere et al. (2010); to Alvarezsauria by Bonaparte (1991), Bonaparte (1996), Agnolin et al. (2012) and Novas et al. (2013); to Maniraptora by Novas (1994), Novas et al. (2006), Makovicky et al. (2012) and Lü et al. (2018); and to Alvarezsauroidea by Averianov and Lopatin (2021) and Kubo et al. (2023).
It was assigned to Ornithomimoidea by Sereno (1999); to Metornithes by Chiappe et al. (1996), Novas (1996), Chiappe (1996), Novas (1997), Ji et al. (1999), Holtz (2000) and Chiappe et al. (2002); to Coelurosauria by Novas and Pol (2002); to Avialae by Padian (2004); to Alvarezsauroidea by Choiniere et al. (2010); to Alvarezsauria by Bonaparte (1991), Bonaparte (1996), Agnolin et al. (2012) and Novas et al. (2013); to Maniraptora by Novas (1994), Novas et al. (2006), Makovicky et al. (2012) and Lü et al. (2018); and to Alvarezsauroidea by Averianov and Lopatin (2021) and Kubo et al. (2023).
Subtaxa
Achillesaurus, Albertonykus, Alnashetri, Alvarezsaurus (type genus), Elopteryx, Parvicursorinae, Trierarchuncus
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Alvarezsauridae Bonaparte p. 82 |
| 1994 | Alvarezsauridae Novas |
| 1996 | Alvarezsauridae Bonaparte p. 95 |
| 1996 | Alvarezsauridae Chiappe p. 540 |
| 1996 | Alvarezsauridae Chiappe et al. p. 560 fig. 2 |
| 1996 | Alvarezsauridae Novas p. 676 fig. 1 |
| 1997 | Alvarezsauridae Novas p. 141 |
| 1999 | Alvarezsauridae Ji et al. p. 5 |
| 1999 | Alvarezsauridae Sereno p. 2139 fig. 2 |
| 2000 | Alvarezsauridae Holtz, Jr. p. 13 fig. 5 |
| 2002 | Alvarezsauridae Chiappe et al. p. 90 |
| 2002 | Alvarezsauridae Novas and Pol pp. 122-123 fig. 5.1 |
| 2004 | Alvarezsauridae Padian p. 211 |
| 2006 | Alvarezsauridae Novas et al. p. 63 |
| 2010 | Alvarezsauridae Choiniere et al. p. 573 fig. 2 |
| 2012 | Alvarezsauridae Agnolin et al. p. 35 |
| 2012 | Alvarezsauridae Makovicky et al. p. 90 fig. 9 |
| 2013 | Alvarezsauridae Novas et al. p. 196 fig. 17 |
| 2018 | Alvarezsauridae Lü et al. |
| 2021 | Alvarezsauridae Averianov and Lopatin |
| 2023 | Alvarezsauridae Kubo et al. p. 29 fig. 18 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
Fm. †Alvarezsauridae Bonaparte 1991
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G. †Albertonykus Longrich and Currie 2009 [Alberta claw]
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†Albertonykus borealis Longrich and Currie 2009
Subfm. †Parvicursorinae Karhu and Rautian 1996
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G. †Mononykus Perle et al. 1993
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†Mononykus olecranus Perle et al. 1993
Invalid names: Mononychus Perle et al. 1993 [replaced]
Invalid names: Ceratonykini Agnolin et al. 2012 [empty]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| L. M. Chiappe et al. 2002 | Laterally compressed synsacral vertebrae; concave and convex cranial and caudal articular surfaces of synsacrum, respectively; short coracoid, wider than it is tall, lacking biciptal tubercle; sternum stout and subtriangular in section; humerus with prominent, proximally projected ventral tubercle and a single condyle; ulna with a hypertrophied olecranon process and a single cotyla; large and proximally expanded radiocarpal facet of radius; hypertrophied and strongly depressed metacarpal I; robust digit I with claw bearing two proximoventral foramina; pubic pedicel cranioventrally oriented; absence of both ischiadic and pubic distal fusion; laterally compressed and kidney-shaped proximal end of pubis; cone-shaped lateral condyle of femur. | |
| F. E. Novas et al. 2013 | Alvarezsaurids are highly derived theropods diagnosed by an extensive list of synapomorphies, including a lightly built skull bearing numerous small teeth restricted to the anterior portion of the snout, large and rounded orbits, postorbital and jugal lacking contact, robust humerus with a proximally projected inner tubercle, robust ulna with enlarged olecranon, block-like carpometacarpus, hand with very robust digit I carrying a large and stout claw, and keeled sternum, among other features |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: g = genus, subo = suborder, o = order | |||||
| References: Marsh 1875, Benton 1983, Peczkis 1995 | |||||
Age range: base of the Early/Lower Cenomanian to the top of the Lancian or 99.60000 to 66.00000 Ma
Collections (39 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early/Lower Cenomanian | Argentina (Río Negro) | Alnashetri cerropoliciensis (206599 225915) | |
| Middle Turonian - Late/Upper Turonian | Uzbekistan (Navoi) | Dzharaonyx eski (93204) | |
| Late/Upper Turonian - Early/Lower Coniacian | Argentina (Neuquén) | Alvarezsauridae indet. (48461) | |
| Late/Upper Coniacian - Santonian | China (Henan) | Xixianykus zhangi (94887) | |
| Santonian | Argentina (Río Negro) | Achillesaurus manazzonei (84309) | |
| Santonian | Argentina (Neuquén) | Alvarezsaurus calvoi (13305) | |
| Santonian - Campanian | Mongolia (Dornogov) | Albinykus baatar (80183) | |
| Campanian | Mongolia (Omnogov) | Mononykus sp. (129749) | |
| Campanian | China (Nei Mongol) | Linhenykus monodactylus (131829 145095) | |
| Campanian | Mongolia (Omngov) | Mononykus sp. (68525) | |
| Late/Upper Campanian | Mongolia (Omnogov) | Mononychus olecranus (51033) | |
| Late/Upper Campanian | Mongolia (Omnogov Aimak) | Mononykus olecranus (37184) | |
| Middle Campanian - Late/Upper Campanian | Mongolia (Omnogov) | Alvarezsauridae indet. (130803) Ceratonykus oculatus (88549) Jaculinykus yaruui (174155) Ondogurvel alifanovi (37004) Parvicursor remotus, Khulsanurus magnificus (27009) | |
| Maastrichtian | Mongolia (Omnogov) | Alvarezsauridae indet. (55258) Mononychus olecranus (69801) Mononykus olecranus (13108) Mononykus sp. (55257 168983 199805) | |
| Early/Lower Maastrichtian | Romania (Hunedoara) | Elopteryx nopcsai (59410 97948) | |
| Early/Lower Maastrichtian | Canada (Alberta) | Albertonykus borealis (55363) | |
| Lancian | USA (Montana) | Mononykinae indet. (14616) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | China (Henan) | Alvarezsauridae indet. (203216) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | Romania (Hunedoara) | Elopteryx nopcsai (26369) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | USA (Montana) | Alvarezsauridae indet. (217034) Trierarchuncus prairiensis (217033 217035 217037 217038 217039 217041) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | USA (South Dakota) | Albertonykus sp. (224484) |