Theropods
Angeac dinosaurs · Theropoda
From “ostrich dinosaurs” to carnivores known from their teeth: explore the site’s different theropod lineages.
Theropods form a major group of bipedal dinosaurs that also includes birds. They are not limited to large predators. At Angeac, ornithomimosaurs form a particularly abundant assemblage, while several other lineages are recognised mainly from isolated teeth.
Ornithomimosaurs at the heart of research
Angeac’s “ostrich dinosaurs” are theropods. Their numerous remains allow the animal’s anatomy and variation between individuals to be studied.
By September 2026, around 70 right tibiae had been recorded at Angeac, representing at least 70 individuals. The 2023 morphometric study examined 61 individuals.
Comparing individuals
Bones are not studied in isolation. Their shape, size and position in the deposit help test hypotheses about individual diversity and the circumstances of accumulation.
2014 · Published research
European ornithomimosaurs: a reassessed record
Angeac material allows historical bones from the English Weald and the European distribution of ornithomimosaurs to be reassessed.
Specimens and data
Anatomy of Angeac’s ornithomimosaur
The jaw, claws, vertebrae and hindlimb provide complementary evidence. Multiple views reveal more than a single bone outline.
Enlarge each plate to examine labels, specimen identifiers and scale bars.
Variation in femoral shape
In 2023, Romain Pintore, Raphaël Cornette, Alexandra Houssaye and Ronan Allain studied variation in ornithomimosaur femoral shape. Their analysis proposes sexual dimorphism as an explanation: a hypothesis supported by morphometric comparisons, rather than direct identification of each animal’s sex.
Reconstructing an animal, interpreting an assemblage
A museum reconstruction may combine bones from several individuals. It does not necessarily represent a skeleton found complete and articulated. Taphonomy and trace fossil research help assess depositional scenarios and possible behaviours.
Angeac’s other theropods
The 2022 assessment distinguishes several groups from teeth. Their features suggest evolutionary relationships, but do not provide complete skeletons or certain species-level identifications.
| Group described | Fossil evidence | Limits of identification |
|---|---|---|
| Large theropods, possibly megalosaurids | Large, laterally compressed teeth with serrated edges. | The study marks the assignment to Megalosauridae with a question mark. |
| Tyrannosauroids | Teeth with features including a D-shaped cross-section and distinctive cutting edges. | An early member of the lineage; no identification of Tyrannosaurus rex at Angeac. |
| Dromaeosaurids, cf. Nuthetes | Small recurved teeth compared with those of Nuthetes. | “cf.” indicates comparison, without a certain assignment to the genus. |
| Early birds, Archaeopterygidae indet. | Tiny teeth assigned to archaeopterygids. | No skeleton ofArchaeopteryx has been identified: a family assignment is proposed, but the species is undetermined. |
These groups are presented together because the published evidence supports a comparative overview rather than individual pages treating species as certain. Birds belong within this dinosaur history; pterosaurs are a separate reptile lineage.
View the theropod tooth plate and explore screen-washing → · Discover pterosaurs →
Sources and current knowledge
- Allain et al., 2022, theropods pp. 718–724, figures 28–31: the basis for the identifications compared here.
- MNHN, synthesis updated 14 September 2026 : recent count of the ornithomimosaur assemblage.
- Pintore et al., 2023 : analysis and interpretation of variation in femoral shape.
Scientific research on this topic
- 2013 · Comparing European and Asian dinosaurs: Angeac and Laos (conference contribution)
- 2023 · Femoral variation and the hypothesis of sexual dimorphism (article)
- 2014 · European ornithomimosaurs: reassessing the record (article)
- 2014 · Taphonomy of the ornithomimosaur assemblage (conference contribution)
- 2011 · An assemblage dominated by ornithomimosaurs (conference contribution)
