Allosauridae

Taxobox
name = Allosauridae
fossil_range = Late Jurassic
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
infraordo = Carnosauria
superfamilia = Allosauroidea
familia = Allosauridae
familia_authority = Marsh, 1878
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Antrodemus" "Allosaurus" (type) "Epanterias" "Saurophaganax"

Allosauridae was a family of medium to large sized carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. They lived during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous Periods fact|date=June 2008. Members included "Saurophaganax", "Allosaurus", and the poorly known "Antrodemus". Some key evolutionary novelties of allosaurids are the evenly round face, the medially flattened tip of the lower jaw, and the upper tooth sockets that extend all the way to the back of the face, expandable skull, sleek but strong body design, long, compact legs, stiffened tails, and an expanded "boot" at the end of the pubis.

The exact number of genera that can be included here is very debatable and most of the upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous carnosaurs are somewhat closely related to "Allosaurus". Whatever the case, allosaurids seemed to be the most successful hunters of their times, outnumbering the Megalosauridae and Ceratosauridae, with which they competed for prey. The allosaurids would eventually be succeeded by their close relatives the carcharodontosaurids in the southern hemisphere, and replaced by the coelurosaurian tyrannosaurids in the northern hemisphere, during the Cretaceous Period.