There is no official, canonical list of all non-avian dinosaur genera. The closest is the
Dinosaur Genera List, compiled by
biological nomenclature expert George Olshevsky, which was first published online in 1995 and was regularly updated until June 2021. The most authoritative general source in the field is the second (2004) edition of
The Dinosauria. The vast majority of names listed below are sourced to Olshevsky's list, and all subjective determinations (such as junior synonymy or non-dinosaurian status) are based on
The Dinosauria, except where they conflict with primary literature. These exceptions are noted. Naming conventions and terminology follow the
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Technical terms used include: •
Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the
type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN (see
Tyrannosaurus), but junior synonyms cannot be used again for a different genus, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen. •
Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN.
Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a
nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any
nomina nuda that describe the same specimen. •
Nomen oblitum (Latin for "forgotten name"): A name that has not been used in the scientific community for more than fifty years after its original proposal. •
Nomen manuscriptum (Latin for "manuscript name"): A name that appears in manuscript of a formal publication that has no scientific backing. •
Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. Preoccupied names are not valid generic names. •
Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features. As this can be an extremely subjective and controversial designation (see
Hadrosaurus), no genera should be marked as such on this list. ==A==