Triassic Carnivore Theropods

Coelophysis bauri

Coelophysis bauri

Pronunciation: [SEE-low-FIE-sis BORE-eye] Meaning: “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.

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Mounted fossil skeleton of the agile Triassic theropod Coelophysis bauri from the Ghost Ranch bone bed, displayed in predatory pose.
Verified Museum Specimen
Ghost Ranch quarry skeleton mount • Field Museum / Ghost Ranch Paleontology Collection
Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0) (CC BY 2.0) • Specimen Record ↗

Specimen Field Matrix

Empirical morphological and stratigraphical records
Geologic Period Triassic
Temporal Range Late Triassic, 228–201 Ma
Dietary Guild Carnivore
Taxonomic Clade Theropods
Total Length 3 m (9.8 ft)
Standing Height 1 m (3.3 ft)
Body Mass Estimate 25 kg (0 t / 55 lbs)
Locomotion Bipedal
Fossil Localities New Mexico, Arizona (Ghost Ranch)
Stratigraphic Formations Chinle Formation
Field Dispatch & Natural History

Paleontological Overview

A gracile, agile early theropod that flourished across Late Triassic floodplains, hunting small vertebrates and insects with slender grasping jaws and lightweight hollow bones.

Coelophysis bauri was described from fossil material recovered in the Chinle Formation.

Biomechanical Proportions

Human Scale Comparison

Proportional anatomical comparison between an average adult human (1.8 m / 5.9 ft) and Coelophysis bauri (3 m / 9.8 ft length, 1 m / 3.3 ft standing height).

Ground Level (0.0 m) 1.8 m (5.9 ft) Length: 3 m (9.8 ft) 1 m height
Adult Human: 1.8 m (5.9 ft)
Coelophysis bauri: 3 m (9.8 ft) length • 1 m (3.3 ft) standing height
Paleogeography & Stratigraphy

Where & When It Lived

Geographic Range & Habitat

North America
Fossil Deposit Localities:
New Mexico, Arizona (Ghost Ranch)
Geological Formations:
Chinle Formation

Fossil specimens of this species have been recovered from terrestrial floodplains, ancient river channels, and coastal sandstone facies deposited during continental rifting and tectonic reconfigurations.

Geologic Epoch & Chronology

Triassic Period Late Triassic, 228–201 Ma

Radiometric dating of volcanic ash layers (bentonite horizons) places this taxon between 228 and 201 million years before the present.

Visual Archives

Specimen & Life Restoration Gallery

Verified Museum Specimen Ghost Ranch quarry skeleton mount
Biomechanical Profile Field Museum / Ghost Ranch Paleontology Collection
Scientific Bibliography

Peer-Reviewed References & Institutional Literature

Monographs and peer-reviewed taxonomic papers for this record are compiled from international paleontological journals and museum collections.

Scientific data peer-reviewed and verified on March 25, 2026 • Dinosaurs Facts Paleontological Registry
Mesozoic Kinship

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