News and Reviews – A review of the basal tyrannosauroids (Saurischia: Theropoda) of the Jurassic Period

Abstract

The well supported clade Tyrannosauroidea represents one of the most basal coelurosaurian theropods. Given that current fossil records of earliest coelurosaur theropods are extremely scarce, basal-most tyrannosauroid materials are key to understanding the origin and diversification of coelurosaurs. Here, I present a brief overview of currently known basal tyrannosauroids of Jurassic age, discussing their systematics and distribution. The currently oldest known Jurassic tyrannosauroids are from Europe continent, possibly suggesting the European origin of the superfamily.