Subfamily

Valid Extinct

Coelophysinae

Nopcsa 1928

Coelophysoidea is an extinct clade of theropod dinosaurs common during the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods. They were widespread geographically, probably living on all continents. Coelophysoids were all slender, carnivorous forms with a superficial similarity to the coelurosaurs, with which they were formerly classified, and some species had delicate cranial crests. Sizes range from about 1 to 6 m in length. It is unknown what kind of external covering coelophysoids had, and various artists have portrayed them as either scaly or feathered. Some species may have lived in packs, as inferred from sites where numerous individuals have been found together.

Temporal range

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

Paleogene

Neogene

252 201 145 66 0 Ma

PBDB occurrences

Group

Dinosaures

Carnivore Ground dwelling, solitary Terrestrial

click to enlarge

Coelophysis bauri (Cope, 1887) theropod dinosaur from the Triassic of New Mexico, USA. This is a remarkable complete skeleton of the small early theropod Coelophysis. It comes from a nearly monospecific concentration of numerous complete to disarticulated skeletons in reddish-colored fluvial siltstones, often called a "Coelophysis graveyard". This occurrence has been interpreted as a carcass-jammed channel filling following mass mortality of dinosaurs by regional drought (see Schwartz & Gillette, 1994). Stratigraphy: Rock Point Member, Chinle Formation, Upper Triassic Locality: Whitaker Quarry (Coelophysis Quarry), Ghost Ranch, Rio Arriba County, northern New Mexico, USA Some info. from: Hunt, A.P. & S.G. Lucas. 1991. Rioarribasaurus, a new name for a Late Triassic dinosaur from New Mexico (USA). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 65: 191-198. Schwartz, H.L. & D.D. Gillette. 1994. Geology and taphonomy of the Coelophysis Quarry, Upper Triassic Chinle Formation, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. Journal of Paleontology 68: 1118-1130. Theropod were small to large, bipedal dinosaurs. Almost all known members of the group were carnivorous (predators and/or scavengers). They represent the ancestral group to the birds, and some theropods are known to have had feathers. Some of the most well known dinosaurs to the general public are theropods, such as Tyrannosaurus, Allosaurus, and Spinosaurus. © James St. John · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗

Classification

Dinosauria Unranked clade

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Theropoda Unranked clade

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Neotheropoda Unranked clade

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Coelophysoidea Superfamily

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Coelophysidae Family

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Coelophysinae Subfamily

Fossil sites 30 geolocated sites

Distribution

Top countries

🇺🇸 United States

Geological formations

Chinle

Petrified Forest

Tecovas

Navajo Sandstone

Dockum

Cooper Canyon

Bull Canyon

Rock Point

Shuttle Meadow

Portland

Temporal distribution

Toarcian (184.2–174.7 Ma)

Pliensbachian (192.9–184.2 Ma)

Sinemurian (199.5–192.9 Ma)

Hettangian (201.4–199.5 Ma)

Rhaetian (205.7–201.4 Ma)

Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)

Images 1

Bibliography

Original description

B. F. Nopcsa. 1928. The genera of reptiles. Palaeobiologica 1:163-188

Bibliography (20)

S. J. Nesbitt and M. D. Ezcurra. 2015. The early fossil record of dinosaurs in North America: A new neotheropod from the base of the Upper Triassic Dockum Group of Texas. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 60(3):513-526 DOI ↗

S. J. Nesbitt, R. B. Irmis, and W. G. Parker. 2007. A critical re-evaluation of the Late Triassic dinosaur taxa of North America. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 5(2):209-243 DOI ↗

M. T. Carrano. 2005. Fossil Vertebrate Collections, University of California Museum of Paleontology

T. M. Lehman and S. Chatterjee. 2005. Depositional setting and vertebrate biostratigraphy of the Triassic Dockum Group of Texas. Journal of Earth Systems Science 114(3):325-351 DOI ↗

W. Parker and R. B. Irmis. 2005. Advances in Late Triassic vertebrate paleontology based on new material from Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. Vertebrate Paleontology in Arizona, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 29:45-58

A. P. Hunt, S. G. Lucas, and A. B. Heckert, R. M. Sullivan, M. G. Lockley. 1998. Late Triassic dinosaurs from the western United States. Géobios 31(4):511-531 DOI ↗

R. M. Sullivan, S.G. Lucas, and A. Heckert, AP Hunt. 1996. The type locality of Coelophysis, a Late Triassic dinosaur from north-central New Mexico (USA). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 70(1/2):245-255 DOI ↗

E. H. Colbert. 1989. The Triassic dinosaur Coelophysis. Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin 57:1-174

R. F. Dubiel, S. C. Good, and J. M. Parrish. 1989. Sedimentology and paleontology of the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation, Bedrock, Colorado. The Mountain Geologist 26(4):113-126

W. Oakes and S. G. Lucas. 1986. Triassic cynodont (Reptilia) from New Mexico. New Mexico Geology 8(1):22

P. M. Galton. 1976. Prosauropod dinosaurs (Reptilia: Saurischia) of North America. Postilla 169:1-98

L. F. Brady. 1960. Dinosaur tracks from the Navajo and Windgate sandstones. Plateau 32(4):81-82

E. H. Colbert. 1947. The little dinosaurs of Ghost Ranch. Natural History 59(9):392-399-427-428

Anonymous. 1940. The sixth quarterly report covering the quarter ending September 30, 1940 for the state-wide paleontologic-mineralogic survey in Texas. A Federal Works Agency Work Projects Administration Project. O.P. No. 665-66-3-233. State Serial No. 300-88

C. L. Camp. 1936. A new type of bipedal dinosaur from the Navajo Sandstone of Arizona. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 24(2):39-56

E. C. Case. 1927. The vertebral column of Coelophysis Cope. Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan 2:209-223

S. W. Williston and E. C. Case. 1912. The Permo-Carboniferous of northern New Mexico. Journal of Geology 20:1-12 DOI ↗

M. Talbot. 1911. Podokesaurus holyokensis, a new dinosaur from the Triassic of the Connecticut Valley. American Journal of Science 31(186):469-479 DOI ↗

E. D. Cope. 1887. The dinosaurian genus <i>Coelurus</i>. American Naturalist 21:367-369

E. D. Cope. 1887. A contribution to the history of the Vertebrata of the Trias of North America. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 24(126):209-228

Coelophysinae

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