Coelophysis

E364193

Coelophysis was a small, lightly built, carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Triassic period, known for being one of the earliest well-documented theropods.

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Coelophysis canonical 4
Coelophysoidea 3
Coelophysidae 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf carnivorous dinosaur
prehistoric reptile
theropod dinosaur
bodyLength approximately 2 to 3 meters
bodyMass approximately 15 to 20 kilograms
bodyPlan lightly built
slender
clade Coelophysoidea
linked to: Coelophysis

Dinosauria
Neotheropoda
countryFossilsFound South Africa
United States
Zimbabwe
describedBy Edward Drinker Cope
diet carnivorous
discoveredBy David Baldwin
ecologicalRole possible pack hunter
small predator
family Coelophysidae
linked to: Coelophysis
forelimbFunction grasping prey
fossilAbundance numerous articulated skeletons
fossilSite Chinle Formation, southwestern United States
linked to: Chinle Formation

Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
Petrified Forest National Park
geologicalPeriod Late Triassic
habitat river and lake margin environments
semi-arid floodplains
kingdom Animalia
knownFrom fossil skeletons
livedDuring Norian age
Rhaetian age
locomotion bipedal
nameMeaning hollow form
nameRefersTo hollow limb bones
notableFor being one of the earliest well-documented theropods
order Saurischia
paleontologicalSignificance important for understanding early theropod evolution
phylum Chordata
reproduction oviparous
skeletonCharacteristic elongated hind limbs
large eye sockets
long neck
narrow skull
suborder Theropoda
tailFunction counterbalance for running
taxonRank genus
temporalRange approximately 216 to 201 million years ago
toothType sharp serrated teeth
typeSpecies Coelophysis bauri
linked to: Coelophysis
yearDescribed 1889

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Theropoda includes Coelophysis
Edward Drinker Cope describedTaxa Coelophysis
Dilophosaurus relatedTo Coelophysis
Coelophysis family Coelophysidae
linked to: Coelophysis
Coelophysis typeSpecies Coelophysis bauri
linked to: Coelophysis
Coelophysis clade Coelophysoidea
linked to: Coelophysis
Neotheropoda hasMember Coelophysoidea
linked to: Coelophysis
Neotheropoda hasMember Coelophysis
Neotheropoda subdivision Coelophysoidea
linked to: Coelophysis