Coelophysis Coelophysis

Coelophysis (from Ancient Greek κοῖλος (koilos), “hollow”, and φύσεις (fysis), “form”) is an extinct genus of coelophysid theropod dinosaurs that lived approximately 215 to 201.4 million years ago during the late Triassic period from the middle Norian to Rhaetian age in what is now the southwestern United States. Megapnosaurus was once considered to be a species within this genus, but this interpretation has been challenged and the genus Megapnosaurus is now considered valid.

Coelophysis was a small, slenderly built, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore that could grow up to 3 m long. It is one of the earliest known dinosaur genera. Scattered material representing similar animals has been found worldwide in some Late Triassic and Early Jurassic formations.