Avetheropoda was named by Gregory S. Paul in 1988, and was first defined as a clade by Currie and Padian in 1997, to include Allosaurus, modern birds, and other animals descended from their most recent ancestor.
The classification of Avetheropoda, first proposed by Paul in 1988, was later solidified as a clade by Currie and Padian in 1997. This clade encompasses Allosaurus, modern birds, and other animals descended from their most recent common ancestor.