Assessments of dinosau=
r macroevolution at any given time can be biased by the historical publicat=
ion record. Recent studies have analysed patterns in dinosaur diversity tha=
t are based on secular variations in the numbers of published taxa. Many of=
these have employed a range of approaches that account for changes in the =
shape of the taxonomic abundance curve, which are largely dependent on data=
bases compiled from the primary published literature. However, how these =
=E2=80=98corrected=E2=80=99 diversity patterns are influenced by the histor=
y of publication remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate the influenc=
e of publication history between 1991 and 2015 on our understanding of dino=
saur evolution using raw diversity estimates and shareholder quorum subsamp=
ling for the three major subgroups: Ornithischia, Sauropodomorpha, and Ther=
opoda. We find that, while sampling generally improves through time, there =
remain periods and regions in dinosaur evolutionary history where diversity=
estimates are highly volatile (e.g. the latest Jurassic of Europe, the mid=
-Cretaceous of North America, and the Late Cretaceous of South America). Ou=
r results show that historical changes in database compilation can often su=
bstantially influence our interpretations of dinosaur diversity. =E2=80=98G=
lobal=E2=80=99 estimates of diversity based on the fossil record are often =
also based on incomplete, and distinct regional signals, each subject to th=
eir own sampling history. Changes in the record of taxon abundance distribu=
tion, either through discovery of new taxa or addition of existing taxa to =
improve sampling evenness, are important in improving the reliability of ou=
r interpretations of dinosaur diversity. Furthermore, the number of occurre=
nces and newly identified dinosaurs is still rapidly increasing through tim=
e, suggesting that it is entirely possible for much of what we know about d=
inosaurs at the present to change within the next 20 years.

<=
/div>

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D>