family of reptiles (fossil)
(Redirected from Eustreptospondylinae)

Megalosauridae is a monophyletic family of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs in the order Megalosauroidea. They appeared in the Middle Jurassic,

Temporal range: Middle - Late Jurassic, 170–148 Ma Possible Berriasian-Valanginian record
Torvosaurus Museum of Ancient Life 2.jpg
Skeletal mount of Torvosaurus tanneri, Museum of Ancient Life
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: Megalosauria
Family: Megalosauridae
Huxley, 1869
Type species
Megalosaurus bucklandii
Mantell, 1827

Torvosauridae Jensen, 1985
Eustreptospondylidae Paul, 1988
Streptospondylidae Kurzanov, 1989

They are closely related to the family Spinosauridae. Some members of this family include Megalosaurus, Torvosaurus, Eustreptospondylus, and Afrovenator.

Megalosaurids were among the first major adaptive radiations of large theropod dinosaurs, but they became extinct by the end of the Jurassic period.[1] They were a relatively primitive group of basal tetanurans with two main subfamilies, Megalosaurinae and Afrovenatorinae.

The basal genus Eustreptospondylus differs from both subfamilies. Its position is unclear


  1. Benson, R.B.J (2010). "A description of Megalosaurus bucklandii (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Bathonian of the UK and the relationships of Middle Jurassic theropods". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 158: 882–935. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00569.x.