兽脚亚目（拉丁学名：Theropoda）属于蜥臀目，出现在三叠纪中期。它们大多数都是肉食性恐龙，两足行走，趾端长有锐利的爪子，嘴里长着匕首或小刀一样的利齿，牙齿前后缘常有锯齿。暴龙是其著名代表。兽脚亚目成员（所有非鸟类恐龙）全已在6500万年前大灭绝中消失。
尽管有许多证据表明鸟类是从陆生兽脚亚目恐龙进化而来的，但一些科学家仍然表示怀疑。
Although many lines of evidence indicate that birds evolved from ground-dwelling theropod dinosaurs, some scientists remain unconvinced.
早期的兽脚亚目食肉恐龙，包括从迅猛龙到霸王龙在内的所有肉食物种，抢占了地盘并茁壮成长。
Early therapods, the group of dinosaurs that includes all meat-eating species from Velociraptor to Tyrannosaurus rex, gained ground and thrived.
这种反对是合理的，因为只有早期的兽脚亚目食肉恐龙的锁骨才被发现，但是现在已经发掘出了类似始祖鸟的叉骨的兽脚亚目食肉恐龙锁骨化石。
This objection was reasonable when only early theropod clavicles had been discovered, but fossilized theropod clavicles that look just like the wishbone of Archaeopteryx have now been unearthed.
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