Coelophysis

Name: Coelophysis

Pronounced: seel-OH-fie-sis

Meaning: hollow form

Type: Small Theropod

Length: 3m

Diet: Carnivore

Period: Late Triassic

Years: 225 - 220 million years ago

Location: USA

Description: Coelophysis is a genus of small, bipedal dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic Period, about 210-200 million years ago. It was a member of the group of dinosaurs called theropods, which also includes species such as Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor. Coelophysis was a small, agile dinosaur, with an estimated length of about 6-10 feet and a weight of about 20-30 pounds. It had a small, triangular head with sharp teeth and powerful jaw muscles, as well as long, slender legs and a long, whip-like tail. Its body was probably covered in a layer of feathers. Coelophysis is known from a number of well-preserved fossil specimens, including several partial skeletons and skulls, which have helped paleontologists learn more about the anatomy and behavior of this dinosaur. It is considered a primitive theropod, and is thought to be closely related to other early theropods such as Eoraptor and Chindesaurus. Coelophysis is known from the southwestern United States, and is named after the Greek words 'koilos,' meaning 'hollow,' and 'physsis,' meaning 'nature,' in reference to the hollow spaces in its bones. It is thought to have been an opportunistic predator, feeding on a variety of small prey including lizards, mammals, and other dinosaurs.

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