Allosauroidea

Automatic taxobox | name = Allosauroids | fossil_range = Middle Jurassic–Late Cretaceous, (Possible Late Toarcian and Late Maastrichtian records) | image = Allosaurus skull SDNHM.jpg | image_caption = Allosaurus fragilis skull, San Diego Natural History Museum | taxon = Allosauroidea | authority = Marsh, 1878 | type_species = Allosaurus fragilis | type_species_authority = Marsh, 1877 | subdivision_ranks = Subgroups | subdivision = *Asfaltovenator Xuanhanosaurus Erectopus Unquillosaurus? Scipionyx? Metriacanthosauridae Piatnitzkysauridae? Allosauria Allosauridae Carcharodontosauria Datanglong? Lusovenator Siamraptor Ulughbegsaurus? Carcharodontosauridae Neovenatoridae Megaraptora? Allosauroidea is a superfamily or clade of theropod dinosaurs which contains four families — the Metriacanthosauridae, Allosauridae, Carcharodontosauridae, and Neovenatoridae. Allosauroids, alongside the family Megalosauroidea, were among the apex predators that were active during the Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous periods. The most famous and best understood allosauroid is the North American genus Allosaurus. The oldest-known allosauroid, Shidaisaurus jinae, appeared in the early Middle Jurassic about 174 million years ago (Earliest Aalenian stage) of China. The last known definitive surviving members of the group died out around 89 million years ago in Asia (Shaochilong) and South America (Mapusaurus), though the megaraptorans, which survived until the end of Maastrichtian, may belong to the group as well. A frontal assigned to an allosauroid found to be most closely related to Sinraptor has also been found in the Coniacian (89-86.3 Ma) of Argentina, however this has been reinterpreted to belong to a megaraptoran, which may or may not be allosauroids. Additional, but highly fragmentary, remains were suggested to belong to carcharodontosaurids are known from the Late Maastrichtian (70-66 Ma ago) in Brazil, but were later interpreted as those of abelisaurids.