| Coelophysis was a dinosaur that lived in North | | | | "Coelophysis" means "hollow form" and is a reference |
| America during the late Triassic period, between | | | | to the animal's hollow bones. |
| about 225 million and 220 million years. It is one of | | | | We know from its teeth that Coelophysis was a |
| the earliest dinosaurs that we know of it. Coelophysis | | | | carnivorous (meat eating) dinosaur, and we because |
| was relatively small and bipedal (walked on two legs). | | | | fossilized stomach contents have been found, we |
| It stood perhaps between 8 feet (2.4 meters) and | | | | even know a little about its precise diet. Stomach |
| 10 feet (3 meters) tall. | | | | contents included small reptiles and fish, and even |
| It is thought possible that Coelophysis lived in groups | | | | smaller Coelophysis, the latter telling us that this |
| - one reason why this is suspected, is that in 1947 in | | | | creature sometimes engaged in cannibalism. |
| Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, fossils from about a | | | | Other interesting facts about Coelophysis include the |
| dozen animals were found together. An alternative | | | | fact that it has been designated the official state |
| explanation however is simply that the fossils were | | | | fossil of New Mexico since 1981, and that its fossils |
| simply multiple animals which were swept away and | | | | have even made a trip into space. Coelophysis was in |
| killed together as a result of a flash flood. | | | | fact the second dinosaur in space (Maiasaura was the |
| The earliest find of a Coelophysis fossil took place in | | | | first) - fossils of Coelophysis were taken by the |
| 1881, and was made by amateur fossil collector called | | | | space shuttle Endeavour to the Mir space station in |
| David Baldwin. Edward D. Cope described the | | | | 1998. |
| creature in 1889, and also chose its name - | | | | |