Coelophysidae

Coelophysidae Fossil range: Late Triassic-Early Jurassic, 220–183 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Artist's impression of Coelophysis bauri .
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Saurischia
Suborder:	Theropoda
Superfamily:	Coelophysoidea
Family:	Coelophysidae Nopcsa, 1923
Genera:	Coelophysis (type) Gojirasaurus Megapnosaurus Podokesaurus Procompsognathus Pterospondylus Segisaurus
Synonyms:	Podokesauridae Huene, 1914 Procompsognathidae Nopcsa, 1923 Segisauridae Camp, 1936

The Coelophysidae are a family of primitive carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. Most species were relatively small in size. The family flourished in the late Triassic and early Jurassic periods.

Under cladistic analysis, Coelophysidae was first defined by Paul Sereno in 1998 as the most recent common ancestor of Coelophysis bauri and Procompsognathus triassicus, and all of that common ancestor's descendants.

Coelophysidae is part of the clade Coelophysoidea. The older term "Podokesauridae", named 14 years prior to Coelophysidae (which would normally grant it priority), is now usually ignored, since its type specimen was destroyed in a fire and can no longer be compared to new finds.

Classification

• Family Coelophysidae
  • Gojirasaurus
  • Podokesaurus
  • Pterospondylus
  • Segisaurus
  • Procompsognathus
  • Subfamily Coelophysinae
    • Coelophysis
    • Megapnosaurus (formerly Syntarsus)

References