Moving on; Coelophysis bauri

Now, we can finally see that dinosaurs are becoming more specialised for living in a new biome that required the ability to withstand perilous-for-human climates. After a long period of nearly 10 million years of trial-and-error evolutionary experiments, the true theropod dinosaurs finally arose to become the force to be reckoned with of the Mesozoic, with a variety of weapons, such as 12 inch long foot claws, a 4.5 ton bite, or a skull that could withstand stresses up to 55000 Nm. For our Coelophysis, nothing will beat amazing reflexes, speed and long hands bearing slender claws.

Coelophysis is always shadowed into darkness by its 7 metre cousin, the fearful, double-crested Dilophosaurus. After all, its only 3 metres. But still, it was second on the food chain of Hettangian America. It could feed on any type of prey, including lungfish, prosauropods, insects. It’s small size allowed it to withstand nature’s tests.

Although it was named in the 1850s, it went through a lot of name changing until it became like the Coelophysis we know today. It was found and named by the legendary pioneer of palaeontology, Edward Drinker Cope but it was assigned to as part of Coelurus, a maniraptoran dinosaur from the Late Jurassic. Soon, it was renamed Syntarsus, a name which was in fact already preoccupied by an insect. Finally, it became the Coelophysis we love.

Here’s a strange fact about its ceratosaurian anatomy; unlike Dilophosaurus or Lilliensternus, it’s light and shallow when looked at from the bones. It only weighs about 20 kg approximately,unlike its 1 ton relative.

Quick facts:
Coelophysis bauri
3 metres
21 kg
Early Jurassic; Hettangian