棘龍科包含兩個亞科:重爪龍亞科、棘龍亞科。棘龍亞科是由塞里諾在1998年所命名,並由湯瑪斯·荷茲(Thomas R. Holtz Jr.)等人在2004年定義為:親緣關係較接近埃及棘龍,而離沃克氏重爪龍較遠的所有物種。重爪龍亞科則是由查理格(Alan J. Charig)與Angela C. Milner在1986年所建立,牠們為了新發現的重爪龍屬建立了重爪龍科與重爪龍亞科;後來重爪龍被發現與棘龍科有關。湯瑪斯·荷茲等人在2004年將重爪龍亞科定義為:親緣關係較接近沃克氏重爪龍,而離埃及棘龍較遠的所有物種。
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