This timeline of ceratosaur research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the ceratosaurs, a group of relatively primitive, often horned, predatory theropod dinosaurs that became the apex predators of the southern hemisphere during the Late Cretaceous. The nature and taxonomic composition of the Ceratosauria has been controversial since the group was first distinguished in the late 19th century. In 1884 Othniel Charles Marsh described the new genus and species Ceratosaurus nasicornis from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation of the western United States. He felt that it belonged in a new family that he called the Ceratosauridae. He created the new taxon Ceratosauria to include both the Ceratosauridae and the ostrich-like ornithomimids. The idea of the Ceratosauria was soon contested, however. Later that same decade both Lydekker and Marsh's hated rival Edward Drinker Cope argued that the taxon was invalid. The idea of the Ceratosauria would regain some support more than thirty years later when Gilmore argued in its favor in 1920. Nevertheless, the validity of Ceratosauria was disputed throughout much of the 20th century by researchers like Romer, Lapparent, Lavocat, Colbert, and Charig. However, in 1986, more than a century after Marsh first coined the name, Jacques Gauthier revived the idea. Three years later, Rowe published a new definition of Ceratosauria, all taxa more closely related to Ceratosaurus than to birds, based on Gauthier's use of the term. This modern use of the term was thought to include the many theropods discovered since the 1880s known as coelophysoids. Ceratosaurus itself had loose joints between bones in the skull whose interpretation has been controversial. Paleontologist Robert T. Bakker has interpreted this condition as an adaptation to swallow prey larger than it would otherwise be able to fit through its jaws. Since the 1980s, major developments in ceratosaur taxonomy have centered on the discovery of the Abelisauridae, a new family of large ceratosaurs that were among the dominant predators of the southern hemisphere during the Cretaceous. One of the most notable of these was Carnotaurus, an unusual horned theropod with a short face. More recent noteworthy non-abelisaur ceratosaur discoveries include the protruding-toothed noasaurid Masiakasaurus knopfleri, named after the lead guitarist from Dire Straits.
19th century
1880s
1884 Othniel Charles Marsh described the new genus and species Ceratosaurus nasicornis. He also erected the new family Ceratosauridae and named the Ceratosauria to include both Ceratosaurus and the Ornithomimidae.
1888 Richard Lydekker rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1890s
1892 Cope rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1896 Charles Depéret described the new species Megalosaurus crenatissimus, based mostly on vertebrae. Marsh described the new genus and species Labrosaurus sulcatus.
20th century
1900s
1901
Arthur Smith Woodward described the new genus and species Genyodectes serus.
1910s
1919 Othenio Abel rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1920s
1920 Werner Janensch described the new genus and species Elaphrosaurus bambergi. Charles Whitney Gilmore recognized the Ceratosauria and/or Ceratosauridae as valid.
1921
Charles William Andrews described the new genus and species Sarcosaurus woodi. Charles Alfred Matley described the new genus and species Lametasaurus indicus.
1925 Janensch described the new species Ceratosaurus roechlingi. He also described the new species Labrosaurus stechowi.
1930s
1931 Hem Chandra Das Gupta described the new genus and species Orthogoniosaurus matleyi.
1932 Von Huene described the new genus and species Laevisuchus indicus. He also described the new genus and species Coeluroides largus. He also described the new species Dryptosauruoides grandis. He also described the new genus and species Velocipes guerichi. He also described the new species Sarcosaurus andrewsi. Huene recognized the Ceratosauria and/or Ceratosauridae as valid.
1933 Von Huene and Matley described the new genus and species Indosaurus matleyi. They also described the new genus and species Indosuchus raptorius. They also described the new genus and species Jubbulpuria tenuis. They also described the new genus and species Ornithomimoides barasimlensis. They also described the new species O. mobilis. Alfred Sherwood Romer rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1950s
1955
René Lavocat erected the new genus Majungasaurus to house the species "Megalosaurus" crenatissimus, and designated a neotype specimen. Albert-Félix de Lapparent and Lavocat rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1956 Romer rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae. Von Huene recognized the Ceratosauria and/or Ceratosauridae as valid.
1960s
1964 Colbert rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1966 Romer rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1970s
1970 Rodney Steel rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1979
Hans-Dieter Sues and Philippe Taquet described the new genus and species Majungatholus atopus. Alan Jack Charig rejected the validity of the Ceratosauria and Ceratosauridae.
1980s
1980 José Bonaparte and Jaime Powell described the new genus and species Noasaurus leali. They classified it in a new family, the Noasauridae.
1985
Bonaparte and Fernando Emilio Novas described the new genus and species Abelisaurus comahuensis. Bonaparte described the new genus and species Carnotaurus sastrei.
1986 Robert T. Bakker thought the loose joints in the skull of Ceratosaurus was an adaptation allowing it to swallow prey that would otherwise be too large. Ricardo Martínez and others described the new genus and species Xenotarsosaurus bonapartei. Gauthier "resurrected the name Ceratosauria" to apply to the sister group of the tetanuran theropods. However, while he listed the members of his Ceratosauria, he did not propose a formal phylogenetic definition.
1989 Rowe formally defined the Ceratosauria as theropods more closely related to Ceratosaurus nasicornis than birds, based on Gauthier's 1986 usage of the term.
1990s
1990 Rowe and Gauthier published a node-based definition of Ceratosauria.
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