Art from http://apsaravis.deviantart.com/art/Coelophysis-bauri-405981470
Classification: llular Life, Archaea, Proteoarchaeota, Eukaryota, Unikota, Opisthokonta, Holozoa, Filozoa, Metazoa, Eumetazoa, Planulozoa, Bilatera, Nephrozoa, Deuterostomia, Chordata, Craniata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Eugnathostomata, Teleostomi, Euteleostomi, Sarcopterygii, Rhipidistia, Tetrapodomorpha, Eotetrapodiforms, Elpistostegalia, Stegocephalia, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Anthracosauria, Batrachosauria, Cotylosauria, Amniota, Sauropsida, Eureptilia, Romeriida, Diapsida, Neodiapsida, Sauria, Archosauromorpha, Archelosauria, Archosauriformes, Crurotarsi, Archosauria, Avemetatarsalia, Ornithodira, Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Coelophysoidea
Definition: All descendants of the most recent common ancestor of Coelophysis bauri and Procompsognathus triassicus
Organisms Within: Coelophysis, Camposaurus, Panguraptor, Procompsognathus, Pterospondylus, Segisaurus, Lepidus
Time Range: Shown below, numbers on the left in millions of years. Coelophysids first appeared around when Coelophysoids did, indicating once again the rapid diversification of early dinosaurs and early theropods. They went extinct in the Early jurassic, as other small theropods evolved and outcompeted them for resources, same as their less derived Coelophysoid cousins.
Coelophysoids were small, gracile predators that were extremely common in the Late Triassic and Earliest Jurassic periods. The most famous, of course, is Coelophysis, with multiple species assigned to the genus from many locations. Some members of the group had small crests on their heads, that were probably used for display; in general they were fast, built for avoiding larger predators and hunting prey such as insects, lizards, early mammal relatives, things in general much smaller than they were that they would have to run and catch, potentially with their hands.
Art from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelophysidae
Coelophysids were probably covered in protofeathers, like all early dinosaurs, and while it has been thought that they were pack hunters, evidence of flocking has not been found; rather, large deposits of fossils of these animals in places like the Coelophysis ghost ranch were due to phenomena such as flash floods and watering holes. Members of the group lived fast, and died young, maturing quickly and were probably warm blooded and very active.
Art from http://alpha-dilophosaurus.deviantart.com/art/Coelophysis-bauri-565335271
Fossil Locations: Coelophysids have been found throughout the globe, and given their rapid and early in the history of dinosaurs diversification it’s relatively likely that they evolved in South America, but it’s also possible they originated in the North American southwest. It is hard to tell with the large gaps this group has in the fossil record. Colored countries have fossil locations.
Biogeography: The Coelophysoids lived for a long period of time and were present in a wide variety of locations, as shown below.
Read more about Coelophysis here and here!
Read more about Camposaurus here!
Read more about Panguraptor here!
Read more about Procompsognathus here!
Read more about Pterospondylus here!
Read more about Segisaurus here!
Read more about Lepidus here!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelophysidae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panguraptor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidus_praecisio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procompsognathus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterospondylus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segisaurus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camposaurus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelophysis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelophysis_rhodesiensis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelophysis_kayentakatae
Shout out goes to @ineedfoodoriwilldie!