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Coelophysis
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Coelophysis was a small, 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 meters) tall, dinosaur that lived in
North America in the late Triassic period,
about 225 to 220 million years ago.
It is in fact one of the earliest known dinosaurs.
The first discovery of the remains of Coelophysis was in 1881 by an amateur
fossil
collector named David Baldwin.
The name Coelophysis was coined by
Edward D. Cope
in 1889, and means "hollow form", in reference to the animal's
hollow bones.
In 1947,
at Ghost Ranch in
New Mexico,
about a dozen
Coelophysis
fossils were found
together, which suggests they may have lived together in groups. An
alternative (and not necessary incompatible) theory is that the animals were
all killed in a flash flood which swept them away and buried them all together.
Fossilized stomach contents have also been found, and Coelophysis is known to
have been a meat-eater, eating among other things, small reptiles and fish.
There have also been suggestions that stomach contents may also have
included other Coelophysis of different sizes, indicating that the animal was a cannibal
- however other scientists have argued that this is not the case,
and the material was actually
fossils
of other animals as well bones of group of Coelophysis that had simply
been mixed together.
Coelophysis has been designated the official state fossil of
New Mexico, since
1981.
Coelophysis was the second dinosaur in space, when the space shuttle Endeavour
carried a Coelophysis skull to the Mir space station, in
1998.
Coelophysis was a carnivore (meat-eater) that lived from 225 to 220 million years ago
Related Information & Resources
See Also
Coelophysis Facts
Here is a summary of some of the key facts about Coelophysis:
- Coelophysis was a genus of dinosaur.
- "Coelophysis" means "hollow form" (referring to its hollow bones). This name was chosen by Edward D. Cope in 1889.
- Coelophysis was a member of the Saurischia ("lizard-hipped") order of dinosaurs. What this means, is that although Coelophysis was not closely related to lizards, it did have similarly shaped pelvic bones.
- Coelophysis was a Theropod - a member of a group of related bipedal dinosaurs that included the ancestors of birds (although Coelophysis was not itself an ancestor of birds).
- Coelophysis lived between about 225 million years ago and 220 million years ago, during the Triassic period.
- Coelophysis lived in North America.
- Coelophysis was a carnivore (meat-eater).
- Coelophysis may have been a cannibal. The evidence for this is fossilized remains of supposedly juvenile animals found "within" larger animals. However, in recent years, a number of scientists argue that such evidence has been misinterpreted, and there is no reason to believe that Coelophysis was a cannibal.
- Coelophysis was about 8 feet (2.4 meters) to 10 feet (3 meters) tall.
- Coelophysis is the official state fossil of New Mexico.
Coelophysis Pictures and Posters
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Coelophysis Toys
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Coelophysis Books
Here are some books from Amazon.com:
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By Richard M. Gaines
Buddy Books
Library Binding (32 pages; 1)
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By Susan Heinrichs Gray
Child's World
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Why were hundreds of Coelophysis fossils found together at a site in New Mexico? Did Coelophysis live in a herd? Was there more than one kind of Coelophysis? And why did Coelophysis die out? Explore the many mysteries that still surround this early dinosaur, hundreds of millions of years after it disappeared. |
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By Douglas Henderson
Dial
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Examines the possible causes of the catastrophe that killed hundreds of Coelophysis dinosaurs 225 million years ago, exploring such possible scenarios as a huge flood, a volcano, and an asteroid." |
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Books LLC
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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Plateosaurus, Herrerasaurus, Coelophysis, Pisanosaurus, Zupaysaurus, Tawa, Unaysaurus, Alwalkeria, Antetonitrus, Staurikosaurus, Lophostropheus, Thecodontosaurus, Procompsognathus, Eoraptor, Agrosaurus, Efraasia, Saturnalia, Eocursor, Riojasaurus, Mussaurus, Eucnemesaurus, Melanorosaurus, Pantydraco, Gojirasaurus, Plateosauravus, Spondylosoma, Panphagia, Asylosaurus, Liliensternus, Isanosaurus, Pterospondylus, Euskelosaurus, Halticosaurus, Chindesaurus, Ruehleia, Agnosphitys, Dolichosuchus, Thotobolosaurus, Caseosaurus, Teyuwasu, Comanchesaurus, Newtonsaurus, Camposaurus, Lessemsaurus, Guaibasaurus, Avipes, Coloradisaurus, Camelotia, Rachitrema, Velocipes, Blikanasaurus, Blikanasauridae, Likhoelesaurus, Triassic Dinosaurs. Excerpt: Agnosphitys Fossil range: Late Triassic Agnosphitys (pronounced / æ n sfa t s/ , "unknown begetter"; sometimes mistakenly called Agnostiphys or Agnosphytis ) is a disputed genus of dinosaur . It contains only one species, the type species A. cromhallensis . Its remains include an ilium , maxilla , astragalus and humerus , which date variously from the Norian and Rhaetian stages of the Late Triassic . It may be a chimera . Agnosphitys lies close to the ancestry of dinosaurs, although exactly where is disputed by researchers. Some consider it a saurischian dinosaur close to the beginnings of dinosaur evolution, while others consider it a dinosauromorph, an archosaur near the evolution of the dinosaurs. The type species, Agnosphitys cromhallensis , was described by Fraser, Padian, Walkden and Davis in 2002. The fossils, consisting of a partial skeleton including referred material, were found in Avon, England . Websites (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Agrosaurus Agrosaurus (Seeley, 1891; (pronounced / æ r s r s/ ) meaning 'field... |
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By Janet Riehecky
Childs World
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By Graham Coleman
Gareth Stevens Publishing
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By Janet Riechecky
Childs World
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Describes what is known and hypothesized about the physical appearance and behavior of the small carnivorous dinosaur called Coelophysis. |
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By D. W. Fisher
New York State Museum, Albany New York
Paperback
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By Dick Dudley
ABC/The All Children's Co
Paperback (12 pages)
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Brief text and pop-up illustrations depict the Coelophysis, a relatively small carnivorous dinosaur. |
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By J. Lynette Gillette
Paperback (32 pages)
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