Coelophysis was a small carnivorous dinosaur that lived in the Late Triassic, 228 – 200 million years ago, in North America.
Coelophysis was an early theropod dinosaur, typically reaching approximately 2 metres in length and weighing around 18–23 kg. Its neck, tail and hindlimbs were long and slender. Its head was long and narrow, and its jaws contained numerous sharp teeth.
Like other predatory dinosaurs, Coelophysis was agile, lightly built, and likely fed on small reptiles and early mammals. This small dinosaur is representative of the species from which other theropods later evolved.
