Sauropodiformes

Sauropodiformes (meaning "in the form of a sauropod") is an extinct clade of sauropodomorph dinosaurs. It includes the true sauropods as well as their closest non-sauropod relatives. This clade was named in 2007 by the researcher Paul Sereno.^[1]

Sauropodiformes Temporal range: Late Triassic - Late Cretaceous, 228–66 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skeleton of Jingshanosaurus xinwaensis at the Miami Science Museum
Lessemsaurus sauropoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	†Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	†Massopoda
Clade:	†Sauropodiformes Sereno, 2007
Subgroups
Sauropodiformes sensu McPhee et al., 2014 †Chuxiongosaurus? †Jingshanosaurus †Lishulong †Qianlong †Seitaad †Xingxiulong †Yunnanosaurus †Sauropodiformes sensu Sereno, 2007 †Aardonyx †Anchisaurus †Irisosaurus †Lamplughsaura †Leonerasaurus †Mussaurus †Sefapanosaurus †Yizhousaurus †Lessemsauridae? †Melanorosauridae †Sauropoda Sauropodiformes incertae sedis †Amygdalodon †Isanosaurus †Kotasaurus †Meroktenos

Sauropodiformes was given a phylogenetic definition by Sereno when he named it. He gave it a node-based definition as the least inclusive clade containing both Saltasaurus and Mussaurus.^[1] However, Blair McPhee and colleagues redefined Sauropodiformes in 2014 to have a stem based definition. The new definition they provided was that it would be the least inclusive clade containing Saltasaurus, but not Massospondylus. The reason the authors provided for this redefinition was the taxonomic instability of Mussaurus and the importance of the evolutionary transition that occurred within this group including the emergence of massive sizes and the evolution of quadrupedality.^[2]

Below is a cladogram of Sauropodiformes after Alania and colleagues, published in 2025.^[3]

Massopoda

Seitaad Riojasauridae SMF 13.5.37 Massospondylidae Sauropodiformes Yunnanosaurus huangi Xingxiulong Jingshanosaurus Lufengosaurus magnus Yizhousaurus Yunnanosaurus youngi Irisosaurus Yunnanosaurus robustus Sauropodiformes Leonerasaurus Lamplughsaura Mussaurus Anchisaurus Aardonyx Sefapanosaurus NMQR 1551 Melanorosaurus Sauropoda Blikanasaurus Lessemsauridae Pulanesaura Gongxianosaurus Schleitheimia Isanosaurus Sauropoda (sensu stricto) sensu lato sensu stricto sensu lato

See also

• List of sauropod species