Dinosaur genus
Coelophysis
Coelophysis is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 237–199.5 million years old, in the United States.
Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.
At a glance
Data as of 10 October 2026- Named by
- Cope 1889
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Described in
- E. D. Cope (1889). On a new genus of Triassic Dinosauria. The American Naturalist 23: 626.
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Cope 1889), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
- Lived
- Norian to Sinemurian, 227.3–192.9 million years ago
disputed
low: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.Omnisaura calculation237–199.5 million years ago, from its dated fossil recordsmedium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 21 confirmed PBDB records.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Fossils found in
- United States
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
- Rock formations
- ChinlePetrified Forest
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (9 records).Bull Canyon Formationmedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (8 records).Cooper Canyondisputed
low: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.Dockumlow
low: Only one PBDB record.Shuttle Meadowlow
low: Only one PBDB record.Tecovaslow
low: Only one PBDB record.low
low: Only one PBDB record.mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
- Family
- Coelophysidae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Parent group
- Coelophysinae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Order
- Saurischia
medium
medium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.
- Species named in its records
- Coelophysis bauri
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (the species its fossil records are identified as).
- Older or other names
- Podokesaurus (a junior synonym); Rioarribasaurus (a junior synonym)
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (names it treats as this genus).
- Diet
- carnivore (inferred for its group)
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB, inferred from a group the genus belongs to.
- Way of life
- ground dwelling, solitary (inferred for its group)
low
low: PBDB infers this way of life for the whole of Theropoda; behaviour is rarely known for one genus.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB, inferred from a group the genus belongs to.
- Known from
- Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).
Gaps are answers
What isn't known yet
- Type species: no source we use gives it yet.
- Common names: no source we use gives it yet.
- What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
- Held back: 4 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf.", "?" or the name in quotation marks).
- Held back: 5 fossil records left out: identified as a related genus rather than this one.
- Resting on one source: 4 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): parent group (PBDB); family (PBDB); order (NHM); diet (PBDB).
Size and appearance aren't covered yet, and diet and way of life only as PBDB infers them for the wider group. Omnisaura leaves the rest out rather than guess.
Where sources disagree
2 openAge
- 227.3–192.9 MaPBDB
- 237–199.5 MaPBDB's own confirmed records
The ages of the records reach well beyond the published range. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.
Formations
- records nothing herePBDB
- Bull Canyon FormationNHM
One source names a formation the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.
Did it meet…?
No. Coelophysis had gone at least 115.9 million years before Tyrannosaurus appears in the fossil record, a longer gap than the 66 million years between Tyrannosaurus and today.
Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.
Connections
Genera linked to Coelophysis by where and when their fossils were found, by classification and by who named them. Select a name to open its page.
Same rocks, same time 12
Genera found in the same rock units, from rocks of overlapping age, the most shared fossil sites first.
Same family: Coelophysidae 3
Other genera in Coelophysidae with a full profile.
Named by Cope 5
Genera whose naming authority includes the same surname. The authority has no initials, so different people who share a surname can appear together.
Found in United States 37
Other genera found in United States, from rocks of overlapping age, the most fossil sites there first.
Credits
Where this page comes from
- Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
- Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
- WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
- OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
- PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
- Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines
Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.