Saurischian dinosaurs: Theropods: Coelophysids

Saurischian dinosaurs

Coelophysids

Coelophysids were small to medium sized dinosaurs that lived in the Triassic and Jurassic periods, and cladistic analysis suggests that they were related to the ceratosaurs. They included the Triassic species Coelophysis, one of the earliest dinosaurs, which was first discovered in New Mexico. Coelophysis was about 10ft in long. Dilophosaurus or 'two crested lizard' is also now placed in this group. A medium-sized 20ft carnivorous dinosaur of the Early Jurassic period, Dilophosaurus walked on its hind legs, and a nearly complete skeleton found in Arizona, USA showed evidence of a pair of bony crests along its head.


Coelophysis	Dilophosaurus

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