The largest cladistic analysis of early sauropodomorphs, which was presented by Apaldetti and colleagues in November 2011, found Adeopapposaurus, Coloradisaurus, Glacialisaurus, Massospondylus, Leyesaurus and Lufengosaurus to be massospondylids.

[4][7][8][9] However, this analysis found the two recently described North American massopods, Sarahsaurus and Seitaad, and the South African Ignavusaurus to nest outside Massospondylidae, as opposed to some provisional proposals.

[10][11] Earlier in 2011, Pradhania, a sauropodomorph from India, was tested for the first time in a large cladistic analysis and was found to be a relatively basal massospondylid.

[13] In 2019, a specimen previously assigned to Massospondylus from South Africa was re-examined and found to belong to a separate genus that was named Ngwevu.

[2] Anchisaurus Adeopapposaurus Leyesaurus Sarahsaurus Xingxiulong Pradhania Massospondylus kaalae Massospondylus carinatus Lufengosaurus Glacialisaurus Coloradisaurus Yunnanosaurus Jingshanosaurus Riojasaurus E. entaxonis E. fortis Seitaad Sauropodiformes The following cladogram shows the position of Massospondylidae within Massopoda, according to Oliver W. M. Rauhut and colleagues, 2020:[16] Eucnemesaurus Riojasaurus Sarahsaurus Yunnanosaurus Jingshanosaurus Seitaad Coloradisaurus Glacialisaurus Lufengosaurus Massospondylus Adeopapposaurus Leyesaurus Xingxiulong Anchisaurus Leonerasaurus Mussaurus Aardonyx Sefapanosaurus Meroktenos Melanorosaurus Camelotia Lessemsaurus Antetonitrus Ingentia Blikanasaurus Pulanesaura Gongxianosaurus Schleitheimia Isanosaurus Tazoudasaurus Sauropoda