as an
abelisauroid A
cladistic analysis indicated
Austrocheirus had a basal position in the
Abelisauroidea, but was more derived than
Ceratosaurus and
Berberosaurus. This would make it the first known mid-sized abelisauroid which did not possess the reduced forelimbs seen in other members of that clade. A partial ulna, manual claw and metatarsal that belongs to the holotype of
Austrocheirus further supports Rauhut's argument, with the important morphological differences preventing its classification to a particular clade of theropods; for this reason, the authors suggested that it is best to classify this genus under
incertae sedis Averostra, before more materials are discovered. In their 2024 redescription of the abelisauroid
Noasaurus, Hendrickx et al. noted the disputed affinities of
Austrocheirus. Still, they recovered it in a clade also including
Berthasaura and
Afromimus in their
phylogenetic analysis, which they named Berthasauridae. They found berthasaurids to nest outside of the Noasauridae, as the
sister taxon to
abelisauroids. Their results are displayed in the
cladogram below: |label1=
Ceratosauria}} == See also ==