Ghost Ranch quarry skeleton mount
Coelophysis bauri • “Hollow form”
A gracile, agile early theropod that flourished across Late Triassic floodplains, hunting small vertebrates and insects with slender grasping jaws and lightweight hollow bones.
GPIT/RE/7288 mounted skeleton
Plateosaurus trossingensis • “Broad lizard of Trossingen”
One of the first large herbivorous dinosaurs, this bipedal prosauropod browsed tree ferns across Late Triassic Europe before the rise of giant sauropods.
Coelophysis bauri and Plateosaurus trossingensis were both Triassic dinosaurs. Their known fossil horizons overlap by approximately 10 million years, confirming they coexisted on Earth during the same epoch. Coelophysis bauri was an adapted carnivore, whereas Plateosaurus trossingensis was a herbivore, representing fundamentally distinct ecological roles. Based on available fossil estimates, Plateosaurus trossingensis was larger than Coelophysis bauri in both overall length and estimated body mass (approximately 160× heavier and 2.67× longer). Estimates vary between individual specimens.
Anatomical dimensions compared on a shared proportional baseline against an adult human (1.8 m / 5.9 ft).
Plateosaurus trossingensis was longer by approximately 5 m.
Plateosaurus trossingensis stood taller by approximately 2 m.
Plateosaurus trossingensis had a greater estimated mass by 4 tonnes.
Based on available fossil estimates, Plateosaurus trossingensis was larger than Coelophysis bauri in both overall length and estimated body mass (approximately 160× heavier and 2.67× longer). Estimates vary between individual specimens.
Paleontological Note on Mass Estimates: Dinosaur body weights are derived through volumetric laser scanning and femoral circumference scaling equations. Because soft tissue does not fossilize directly, mass values carry statistical margins of uncertainty and represent scientific estimates rather than exact weights.
Direct answers to the most important comparative questions about how these two prehistoric species differed.
Based on available fossil estimates, Plateosaurus trossingensis was larger than Coelophysis bauri in both overall length and estimated body mass (approximately 160× heavier and 2.67× longer). Estimates vary between individual specimens.
Coelophysis bauri was an adapted carnivore, whereas Plateosaurus trossingensis was a herbivore, representing fundamentally distinct ecological roles.
Coelophysis bauri lived during the Triassic (Late Triassic, 228–201 Ma), while Plateosaurus trossingensis lived during the Triassic (Late Triassic, 214–204 Ma).
Fossils of Coelophysis bauri were recovered from New Mexico, Arizona (Ghost Ranch), whereas Plateosaurus trossingensis was discovered in Germany, Switzerland, France.
Coelophysis bauri had a bipedal locomotion, contrasted with Plateosaurus trossingensis which had a bipedal stance.
Their recorded fossil ranges overlap by approximately 10 million years (between 214 and 204 Ma). This demonstrates that Coelophysis bauri and Plateosaurus trossingensis existed on Earth during the same geological epoch. However, chronological coexistence does not automatically prove they shared the exact same localized ecosystem, hunted one another, or directly interacted.
Side-by-side catalog of verified anatomical measurements and geological records.
| Scientific Parameter | A Coelophysis bauri | B Plateosaurus trossingensis |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Binomial | Coelophysis bauri | Plateosaurus trossingensis |
| Name Meaning | “Hollow form” | “Broad lizard of Trossingen” |
| Taxonomic Clade / Group | Theropods | Sauropods |
| Geological Period | Triassic | Triassic |
| Fossil Time Range | Late Triassic, 228–201 Ma | Late Triassic, 214–204 Ma |
| Diet & Trophic Guild | Carnivore | Herbivore |
| Maximum Length | 3 m (9.8 ft) | 8 m (26.2 ft) |
| Standing / Hip Height | 1 m (3.3 ft) | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
| Estimated Body Mass | 0 tonnes (25 kg) | 4 tonnes (4,000 kg) |
| Locomotion / Stance | Bipedal | Bipedal |
| Geographic Localities | New Mexico, Arizona (Ghost Ranch) | Germany, Switzerland, France |
| Geological Formation | Chinle Formation | Löwenstein & Trossingen Formations |
| Discovery History | Historical holotype | Historical holotype |
Visualizing both species across the 186-million-year span of the Mesozoic Era.
Their recorded fossil ranges overlap by approximately 10 million years (between 214 and 204 Ma). This demonstrates that Coelophysis bauri and Plateosaurus trossingensis existed on Earth during the same geological epoch. However, chronological coexistence does not automatically prove they shared the exact same localized ecosystem, hunted one another, or directly interacted.
Comparing the rock strata, paleoclimates, and ancient landscapes where their fossils were entombed.
New Mexico, Arizona (Ghost Ranch)
North America
Germany, Switzerland, France
Europe
Stratigraphic Synthesis:
Direct comparisons between extinct animals are inherently shaped by the incomplete nature of the fossil record. Skeletal dimensions reflect holotype or well-preserved paratype specimens, but individual ontogenetic age, sexual dimorphism, and intraspecific variation all influence the true living size of any prehistoric animal.
Body mass estimates shown above represent calculated averages from published volumetric models and biomechanical limb scaling. As modern synchrotron imaging and 3D digital skeletal mounts advance, museum measurements are continually refined.