Fun Coelophysis Facts For Kids

Are you looking for some interesting Coelophysis dinosaur facts? Then look no further because here's all you need to know about this early dinosaur!

Coelophysis is one of the earliest genera of dinosaurs that lived about 190-225 million years ago during the Late Triassic Period. Comprising theropod dinosaurs with three-toed limbs and hollow bones, these prehistoric reptiles were small, bipedal carnivores with a slender build, flexible neck, and sharp teeth.

They had a long tail and tough skin covered with protective scales.

Early carnivorous dinosaurs like the theropod Coelophysis were not apex predators. They strongly relied on agility and speed to catch small reptiles and fish, helped by their grasping claws, lightly-built jaws, and sharp teeth.

The genus Coelophysis has two confirmed species, Coelophysis bauri, and Coelophysis rhodesiensis, with the former being the type species. Coelophysis bauri was described in 1889 by Edward Drinker Cope.

Some of the first Coelophysis fossil remains were discovered back in 1881 by Cope's employee David Baldwin from the Chinle Formation in northwestern New Mexico. Initially, Cope placed the collected specimens in the genera Coelurus and Tanystropheus but later reclassified them under the new genus Coelophysis.

However, Cope's findings were poorly preserved and failed to give a complete picture of the entire physical form of the prehistoric animals.

It was not until 1947 that numerous Coelophysis fossils were discovered from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. Subsequently, Edwin H. Colbert, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History, did a comprehensive study of the well-preserved Ghost Ranch fossil specimens.

Isn't it interesting how Coelophysis was discovered? Well, read on to know more about this early dinosaur genus.

If you like reading Coelophysis facts for kids, then Stygimoloch and Australovenator might also grab your attention!

Coelophysis Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Coelophysis'?

The Coelophysis pronunciation is 'seel-oh-fie-sis'.

What type of dinosaur was a Coelophysis?

Coelophysis was one of the early dinosaur genera of theropod dinosaurs. The features that set the theropod dinosaur apart were its three-toed limbs and hollow bones.

In which geological period did the Coelophysis roam the earth?

Dinosaurs of the genus Coelophysis roamed the earth about 190-225 million years ago during the Late Triassic Period. Some of the earliest Coelophysis fossils were discovered in 1881, but those poorly-preserved specimens failed to give a clear picture of the prehistoric reptiles.

Then, in 1947, numerous Coelophysis fossil remains discovered from Ghost Ranch in New Mexico provided the basis for a complete study by American Museum of Natural History paleontologist Edwin H. Colbert.

When did the Coelophysis become extinct?

The Coelophysis group of dinosaurs are believed to have become extinct by the end of the Triassic Period, about 201 million years ago.

Where did a Coelophysis live?

The most number of Coelophysis fossil remains have been excavated from Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.

Moreover, specimens of these early reptiles have also been unearthed from Arizona and the Chinle Formation in New Mexico. These fossil discoveries led to the conclusion that the dinosaurs inhabited areas that are part of present-day southwestern United States in North America.

Fossils of Coelophysis rhodesiensis have been discovered from the Upper Elliott Formation in the present-day Free State and Cape provinces of South Africa and the Chitake River bonebed quarry in Zimbabwe's Forest Sandstone Formation.

What was a Coelophysis' habitat?

Considering the period during which the Coelophysis dinosaurs lived, it can be speculated that their habitat was seasonally dry and desert-like with a savannah type of climate. The habitat may be compared to modern-day Kenya but without the presence of grasses because flowering plants evolved much later in the Cretaceous Period.

A study by Therrien and Fastovsky (2001) established that these dinosaurs inhabited floodplains prone to distinct wet and dry seasons.

Who did a Coelophysis live with?

The discovery of thousands of Coelophysis fossils from Ghost Ranch points towards the dinosaurs' pack behavior. It is speculated that they were gregarious animals that roamed the land and hunted in packs.

However, an alternate theory is that the congregation of numerous dinosaur specimens at one site could also mean that the animals were victim to a flash flood, which was pretty common at the time.

How long did a Coelophysis live?

The average lifespan of a Coelophysis is unknown. It is the oldest known dinosaur in North America, with an illustrious existence during the later part of the Triassic Period. Studies show that it likely reached sexual maturity between the second and third years of its life and reached maximum size by the eighth year.

How did they reproduce?

Coelophysis was an egg-laying animal. Rinehart et al.

analyzed a database of several reptiles and birds, compared them with the anatomy of Coelophysis, and concluded that the dinosaur laid eggs about 1.2-1.3 in (3-3.3 cm) in diameter. A female Coelophysis would lay between 24-26 eggs in a single clutch.

Evidence suggests that the dinosaur invested sufficient energy into reproduction and even took care of the hatchlings during their first year of life.

Coelophysis Fun Facts

What did a Coelophysis look like?

Thanks to Coelophysis skeleton specimens available in well-preserved and complete form, it has been possible to determine the anatomical features of this dinosaur. It was a small and lightly-built dinosaur because its bones were hollow, like that of birds.

The dinosaur walked on two long legs, and its forelimbs were adapted for grasping prey. It had narrow hips and feet with a long and slender neck and tail.

The head was long and narrow with large eyes and an elongated snout. The three-toed feet and short forelimbs were equipped with sharp claws.

The long narrow jaws were adorned with several sharp and sawtooth-edged teeth, with those at the tip of the jaw angled backward for efficiently catching small prey. In addition to the small Coelophysis size and overall lightweight form, the skin was covered with a layer of protective scales to impart toughness.

How many bones did a Coelophysis have?

There is no data regarding the exact number of bones the Coelophysis had. However, they have 26 teeth on the upper jaw and 27 teeth on the lower jaw.

How did they communicate?

No data is available regarding the communication behavior of the Coelophysis.

How big was a Coelophysis?

An adult Coelophysis reached a length of about 9.8 ft (3 m) and had two forms, robust and gracile, probably representing males and females. The Tyrannosaurus or T. rex was about four times the length of a Coelophysis. From a more relatable perspective, the Coelophysis was similar in size to an ostrich.

How fast could a Coelophysis move?

Coelophysis was a fast and agile runner with recorded stride lengths of about 2.5 ft (0.7 m).

How much did a Coelophysis weigh?

While the weight of the robust form has been estimated to be about 44 lb (20 kg), the gracile form is lighter, weighing around 33 lb (15 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

Male and female dinosaurs, in general, did not have distinct names.

What would you call a baby Coelophysis?

Baby Coelophysis would be called hatchlings or juvenile coelophysids.

What did they eat?

Coelophysis was a carnivore that preyed on fish and small reptiles. The presence of Coelophysis bones in fossilized stomach remains of the dinosaur suggests that it could have been a cannibal and preyed on its own kind.

How aggressive were they?

Besides being a carnivore, the fact that the Coelophysis was a potential cannibal suggests that it was quite an aggressive dinosaur.

Did you know...

A Coelophysis skull preserved at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History embarked on a journey to space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour mission STS-89 on January 22, 1998. After Maiasaura, Coelophysis was the second dinosaur in space.

What is the meaning of 'Coelophysis'?

The term Coelophysis has its roots in two Greek words, koilos, meaning hollow, and physis, which translates to form. Thus, Coelophysis means hollow form, referring to the hollow bones of the dinosaur.

Where was Coelophysis found?

The earliest Coelophysis fossils were unearthed in 1881 from the Chinle Formation located in northwestern Mexico. Later in 1947, thousands of Coelophysis fossils were excavated from the Ghost Ranch quarry, also in New Mexico. Fossils of C. rhodesiensis have been recovered from the Free State and Cape provinces of South Africa and the Forest Sandstone Formation in Zimbabwe.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Mahakala fun facts, or Antetonitrus facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable winged dinosaurs coloring pages.