A Catalogue of Material and Review of the Spinosauridae

Abstract

Spinosaurids are a monophyletic clade of large-bodied, long-snouted theropod dinosaurs known from minimal skeletal material. In an effort to assist future research on this unusual clade, a catalogue of past spinosaurid discoveries is presented. Database information includes specimen numbers, material identification, locality information, depositional environments, stratigraphic detail, generic or subclade assignment, tooth measurements, tooth placement, and detailed notes on the nature of the finds themselves when needed. Previously reported biogeographic and faunal dispersal patterns suggest that spinosaurids may eventually be found in North American strata, potentially having migrated from western Europe in the Early Cretaceous and eastern Asia over the Beringian isthmus in the Late Cretaceous. This database may be useful for predicting future points of spinosaurid discovery.