在南非与莱索托的上艾略特组、克莱伦斯组、布什维尔砂岩组,发现了大椎龙的可能化石;其他地区还有:津巴布韦上卡罗砂岩层的森林砂岩组、阿根廷的Cañon del Colorado组或El Tranquilo组、以及亚利桑那州的卡岩塔组。这些化石由至少80个部分骨骸、以及4个头颅骨所构成,幼年与成年个体都有[7]。在1985年,亚利桑那州卡岩塔组发现一个头颅骨,可能属于大椎龙。这个卡岩塔头颅骨与非洲所发现的最大型头颅骨相比,还大上25%。前上颌骨具有4颗牙齿,上颌骨有6颗牙齿。腭骨有长约1毫米的迷你牙齿,这在恐龙中相当独特[18]。在亚利桑那州卡岩塔组发现的头颅骨,比南非发现的最大头颅骨,还大上25%[12]。最近,对于非洲大椎龙头颅骨的重新研究,指出卡岩塔组的标本并不属于大椎龙[19]。在卡岩塔组发现的头颅骨与身体骨骼(编号MCZ 8893),已被建立为新属,莎拉龙(Sarahsaurus)[20]。
阿根廷过去曾发现疑似大椎龙的化石,包含数个部分骨骸,与至少一个头颅骨,发现于圣胡安省的Cañon del Colorado组,年代为侏罗纪早期[7]。在2009年,这些化石被认为属于大椎龙的近亲,被建立为独立属,远食龙(Adeopapposaurus)[21]。
有数种恐龙常被认为是大椎龙的异名,包括:Aristosaurus、Dromicosaurus、Gryponyx、Hortalotarsus、Leptospondylus、以及Pachyspondylus,这些恐龙的有效性不大,也被视为疑名[16]。Hortalotarsus是由哈利·丝莱在1894年建立,化石包含部分腿骨。根据罗伯特·布鲁姆的纪录,当地农人以为这些身体骨骼属于布西曼族,因为担心这些布西曼族骨头会削弱他们下一代的信仰,这些农人挖到化石时通常会摧毁,而一些腿部化石被抢救。第二年,理察·欧文将一些脊椎命名为Leptospondylus与Pachyspondylus。这些化石都在第二次世界大战期间遭到摧毁。在1920年,E.C.N. van Hoepen根据一个接近完整的骨骸,建立了Aristosaurus。他另外将一个部分骨骸命名为Dromicosaurus。在1924年,席尼·贺顿命名了Gryponyx,化石为臀部骨头。以上化石都发现于南非的赫塘阶到锡内穆阶,约跟大椎龙同一时期[31][32]。根据国际动物命名法规,这些名称是大椎龙的次同物异名。大椎龙比这些名称还早出现在科学文献中,因此大椎龙具有优先权。
大椎龙曾经属于原蜥脚下目,生存于三叠纪与侏罗纪,并在侏罗纪末期灭亡。原蜥脚下目曾经包含的其他著名属:板龙[7]、云南龙[7]、与里奥哈龙[35]。基础蜥脚形亚目的系统发生学仍在争论中,根据亲缘分支分类法,一个天然演化支应包含它们的共同祖先与其共同祖先的所有后代,所以许多过去被认为是典型基础蜥脚类的物种,因为无法与原有物种构成一天然演化支,近年被排除在原蜥脚下目之外。但哪些物种构成原蜥脚类为一个单系群,仍不确定。在2003年,亚当·耶茨(Adam Yates)与詹姆斯·基钦(James Kitching)公布了一个演化支,包含:里奥哈龙、板龙、科罗拉多斯龙、大椎龙、以及禄丰龙[36]。在2004年,彼得·加尔东(Peter M.Galton)与保罗·阿普彻奇(Paul Upchurch)则将原蜥脚下目列为单系群,包含:砂龙、近蜥龙、爱珍多龙、卡米洛特龙、科罗拉多斯龙、优肢龙、金山龙、莱森龙、禄丰龙、大椎龙、黑丘龙、鼠龙、板龙、里奥哈龙、吕勒龙、农神龙、鞍龙、槽齿龙、易门龙、以及云南龙[7]。在2005年,杰佛瑞·威尔森(Jeffrey A. Wilson)提出大椎龙、金山龙、板龙、与禄丰龙,形成一个天然演化支,可能还有贝里肯龙、雷前龙等蜥脚类恐龙[37]。在2007年,Matthew F. Bonnan与耶茨提出卡米洛特龙、贝里肯龙、黑山龙可能属于蜥脚下目[38]。同样在2007年,耶茨将雷前龙、黑丘龙、贝里肯龙归类为基础蜥脚类恐龙,而且认为原蜥脚下目是板龙科的异名,而没有使用这分类。但耶茨并没有排除少部分原蜥脚类构成一个单系群的可能性,这些成员包含板龙、里奥哈龙、大椎龙、以及它们的最近亲[34]。
大椎龙是大椎龙科的模式属,该科名称即来自于大椎龙。大椎龙科可能包含云南龙[39],但在2007年,Lu等人将云南龙列入个别的云南龙科[40]。在2007年,耶茨提出近蜥龙类,而大椎龙科的大椎龙、科罗拉多斯龙、禄丰龙,以及云南龙属于近蜥龙类[34]。同样在2007年,纳森·史密斯(Nathan D. Smith)与迪亚戈·玻尔(Diego Pol)在他们的系统发生学研究中,将大椎龙、科罗拉多斯龙、禄丰龙、以及他们新建的冰河龙(Glacialisaurus),列入大椎龙科中[41]。数个发现于阿根廷的疑似大椎龙化石,被建立为新属,远食龙与莱氏龙,都属于大椎龙科[21][42]。发现于印度的Pradhania,最初被认为是种原始蜥脚形亚目恐龙;在2011年的亲缘分支分类法研究,发现Pradhania是种相当原始的大椎龙科恐龙。Pradhania有两个大椎龙科的共有衍征,Pradhania、M. hislopi的化石都发现于印度的相同地理区域[43]。
大椎龙属于基础蜥脚类,基础蜥脚类恐龙可能是植食性或杂食性动物。在80年代,科学家们开始争论基础蜥脚类是肉食性的可能性[16][18]。但是,基础蜥脚类是肉食性的假说已被否定,所有的近年研究倾向于基础蜥脚类是植食性或杂食性。在2004年,加尔东与阿普彻奇发现大部分基础蜥脚类的头部特征(例如颌部关节),较类似植食性爬虫类,而非肉食性爬虫类;牙齿形状类似现代鬣蜥,而鬣蜥为植食性或杂食性动物。它们的齿冠最宽处大于齿根宽度,形成切割用边缘,类似现代植食性或杂食性爬虫类的牙齿[7]。在2000年,保罗·巴雷特(Paul M. Barrett)提出基础蜥脚类除了以植物为食外,还会以小型动物或尸体补充食物[54]。曾经在南非的大椎龙化石附近发现胃石[12],维吉尼亚州的三叠纪晚期地层曾一个类似大椎龙的化石,也发现胃石[50]。显示大椎龙吞下石头以协助消化[12]。
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