在南非與萊索托的上艾略特組、克萊倫斯組、布什維爾砂岩組,發現了大椎龍的可能化石;其他地區還有:津巴布韋上卡羅砂岩層的森林砂岩組、阿根廷的Cañon del Colorado組或El Tranquilo組、以及亞利桑那州的卡岩塔組。這些化石由至少80個部份骨骸、以及4個頭顱骨所構成,幼年與成年個體都有[7]。在1985年,亞利桑那州卡岩塔組發現一個頭顱骨,可能屬於大椎龍。這個卡岩塔頭顱骨與非洲所發現的最大型頭顱骨相比,還大上25%。前上頜骨具有4顆牙齒,上頜骨有6顆牙齒。齶骨有長約1毫米的迷你牙齒,這在恐龍中相當獨特[18]。在亞利桑那州卡岩塔組發現的頭顱骨,比南非發現的最大頭顱骨,還大上25%[12]。最近,對於非洲大椎龍頭顱骨的重新研究,指出卡岩塔組的標本並不屬於大椎龍[19]。在卡岩塔組發現的頭顱骨與身體骨骼(編號MCZ 8893),已被建立為新屬,莎拉龍(Sarahsaurus)[20]。
阿根廷過去曾發現疑似大椎龍的化石,包含數個部份骨骸,與至少一個頭顱骨,發現於聖胡安省的Cañon del Colorado組,年代為侏羅紀早期[7]。在2009年,這些化石被認為屬於大椎龍的近親,被建立為獨立屬,遠食龍(Adeopapposaurus)[21]。
有數種恐龍常被認為是大椎龍的異名,包括:Aristosaurus、Dromicosaurus、Gryponyx、Hortalotarsus、Leptospondylus、以及Pachyspondylus,這些恐龍的有效性不大,也被視為疑名[16]。Hortalotarsus是由哈利·絲萊在1894年建立,化石包含部份腿骨。根據羅伯特·布魯姆的紀錄,當地農人以為這些身體骨骼屬於布西曼族,因為擔心這些布西曼族骨頭會削弱他們下一代的信仰,這些農人挖到化石時通常會摧毀,而一些腿部化石被搶救。第二年,理察·歐文將一些脊椎命名為Leptospondylus與Pachyspondylus。這些化石都在第二次世界大戰期間遭到摧毀。在1920年,E.C.N. van Hoepen根據一個接近完整的骨骸,建立了Aristosaurus。他另外將一個部份骨骸命名為Dromicosaurus。在1924年,席尼·賀頓命名了Gryponyx,化石為臀部骨頭。以上化石都發現於南非的赫塘階到錫內穆階,約跟大椎龍同一時期[31][32]。根據國際動物命名法規,這些名稱是大椎龍的次同物異名。大椎龍比這些名稱還早出現在科學文獻中,因此大椎龍具有優先權。
大椎龍曾經屬於原蜥腳下目,生存於三疊紀與侏儸紀,並在侏儸紀末期滅亡。原蜥腳下目曾經包含的其他著名屬:板龍[7]、雲南龍[7]、與里奧哈龍[35]。基礎蜥腳形亞目的系統發生學仍在爭論中,根據親緣分支分類法,一個天然演化支應包含牠們的共同祖先與其共同祖先的所有後代,所以許多過去被認為是典型基礎蜥腳類的物種,因為無法與原有物種構成一天然演化支,近年被排除在原蜥腳下目之外。但哪些物種構成原蜥腳類為一個單系群,仍不確定。在2003年,亞當·耶茨(Adam Yates)與詹姆斯·基欽(James Kitching)公佈了一個演化支,包含:里奧哈龍、板龍、科羅拉多斯龍、大椎龍、以及祿豐龍[36]。在2004年,彼得·加爾東(Peter M.Galton)與保羅·阿普徹奇(Paul Upchurch)則將原蜥腳下目列為單系群,包含:砂龍、近蜥龍、愛珍多龍、卡米洛特龍、科羅拉多斯龍、優肢龍、金山龍、萊森龍、祿豐龍、大椎龍、黑丘龍、鼠龍、板龍、里奧哈龍、呂勒龍、農神龍、鞍龍、槽齒龍、易門龍、以及雲南龍[7]。在2005年,傑佛瑞·威爾森(Jeffrey A. Wilson)提出大椎龍、金山龍、板龍、與祿豐龍,形成一個天然演化支,可能還有貝里肯龍、雷前龍等蜥腳類恐龍[37]。在2007年,Matthew F. Bonnan與耶茨提出卡米洛特龍、貝里肯龍、黑山龍可能屬於蜥腳下目[38]。同樣在2007年,耶茨將雷前龍、黑丘龍、貝里肯龍歸類為基礎蜥腳類恐龍,而且認為原蜥腳下目是板龍科的異名,而沒有使用這分類。但耶茨並沒有排除少部份原蜥腳類構成一個單系群的可能性,這些成員包含板龍、里奧哈龍、大椎龍、以及牠們的最近親[34]。
大椎龍是大椎龍科的模式屬,該科名稱即來自於大椎龍。大椎龍科可能包含雲南龍[39],但在2007年,Lu等人將雲南龍列入個別的雲南龍科[40]。在2007年,耶茨提出近蜥龍類,而大椎龍科的大椎龍、科羅拉多斯龍、祿豐龍,以及雲南龍屬於近蜥龍類[34]。同樣在2007年,納森·史密斯(Nathan D. Smith)與迪亞戈·玻爾(Diego Pol)在他們的系統發生學研究中,將大椎龍、科羅拉多斯龍、祿豐龍、以及他們新建的冰河龍(Glacialisaurus),列入大椎龍科中[41]。數個發現於阿根廷的疑似大椎龍化石,被建立為新屬,遠食龍與萊氏龍,都屬於大椎龍科[21][42]。發現於印度的Pradhania,最初被認為是種原始蜥腳形亞目恐龍;在2011年的親緣分支分類法研究,發現Pradhania是種相當原始的大椎龍科恐龍。Pradhania有兩個大椎龍科的共有衍徵,Pradhania、M. hislopi的化石都發現於印度的相同地理區域[43]。
大椎龍屬於基礎蜥腳類,基礎蜥腳類恐龍可能是植食性或雜食性動物。在80年代,科學家們開始爭論基礎蜥腳類是肉食性的可能性[16][18]。但是,基礎蜥腳類是肉食性的假說已被否定,所有的近年研究傾向於基礎蜥腳類是植食性或雜食性。在2004年,加爾東與阿普徹奇發現大部分基礎蜥腳類的頭部特徵(例如頜部關節),較類似植食性爬蟲類,而非肉食性爬蟲類;牙齒形狀類似現代鬣蜥,而鬣蜥為植食性或雜食性動物。牠們的齒冠最寬處大於齒根寬度,形成切割用邊緣,類似現代植食性或雜食性爬蟲類的牙齒[7]。在2000年,保羅·巴雷特(Paul M. Barrett)提出基礎蜥腳類除了以植物為食外,還會以小型動物或屍體補充食物[54]。曾經在南非的大椎龍化石附近發現胃石[12],維吉尼亞州的三疊紀晚期地層曾一個類似大椎龍的化石,也發現胃石[50]。顯示大椎龍吞下石頭以協助消化[12]。
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