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Dinosaur genus

Coelophysis

Cope 1889

Coelophysis is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 237–199.5 million years old, in the United States.

Confidence labels
How sure are we?3 high6 medium6 lowHow we rate confidence

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 12 October 2026
237–199.5 Ma
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 237–199.5 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 227.3–192.9 million years ago, which also counts records Omnisaura leaves out.

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by
Cope 1889
highhigh: 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.
highhigh: 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
disputedlow: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.
Omnisaura calculation237–199.5 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
mediummedium: Omnisaura's calculation from 21 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Fossils found in
United States
highhigh: 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
Chinle
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (9 records).
Petrified Forest
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (8 records).
Bull Canyon Formation
disputedlow: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.
Cooper Canyon
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Dockum
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Shuttle Meadow
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Tecovas
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
mixedmixed: 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
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Parent group
Coelophysinae
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Order
Saurischia
mediummedium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources

Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.

Known from
Bones
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).

Sources: Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

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 "?").
  • Held back: 5 fossil records left out: identified as a related genus rather than this one.
  • Resting on one source: 3 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): parent group (PBDB); family (PBDB); order (NHM).

Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

2 open

Age

  • 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

  • NonePBDB
  • 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.

Lived alongside

Genera found in the same rock formations, from rocks of the same age.

ChindesaurusEucoelophysisGrallatorKrzyzanowskisaurusKwanasaurusBarrancapusCamposaurusDaemonosaurusEosauropusEubrontesPseudotetrasauropusTawa

Same family

Other genera in Coelophysidae with a full profile.

CamposaurusMegapnosaurusSegisaurus

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.