Coelophysoidea

Coelophysoids Fossil range: Triassic-Jurassic
Profile of Coelophysis.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda Infraorder: Ceratosauria Superfamily: Coelophysoidea Nopcsa, 1928
Species
See text.
Synonyms
Podokesauroidea Huene, 1914

Coelophysoids were common dinosaurs of the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods. They were widespread geographically, probably living on all continents. Coelophysoids were all slender, carnivorous forms with a superficial similarity to the coelurosaurs, with which they were formerly classified, and some species had delicate cranial crests. Sizes range from about 1 to 6 m in length. It is unknown what kind of external covering coelophysoids had, and various artists have portrayed them as either scaly or feathered. Some species may have lived in packs, as inferred from sites where numerous individuals have been found together.

Well-known examples of coelophysoids include Coelophysis (=?"Syntarsus"), Liliensternus, and possibly Dilophosaurus. Most dinosaurs formerly referred to as being in the dubious taxon "Podokesauridae" are now classified as coelophysoids.

Classification

Despite their very early occurrence in the fossil record, coelophysoids have a number of derived features that separate them from primitive (basal) theropods . Among the most prominent of these derived features (apomorphies) is the way the upper jaw bones are connected (the premaxilla-maxilla articulation), which is flexible with a deep gap between the teeth in the two bones. A major source of disagreement among theropod experts is whether or not coelophysoids shared a more recent common ancestor with Ceratosauria (sensu stricto) than the ceratosaurs did with other theropods.

Taxonomy

• SUPERFAMILY COELOPHYSOIDEA
  • Sarcosaurus
  • Halticosaurus
  • Gojirasaurus
  • Family Coelophysidae
    • Dolichosuchus
    • Podokesaurus
    • Procompsognathus
    • Pterospondylus
    • Liliensternus
    • Segisaurus
    • Subfamily Coelophysinae
      • Coelophysis
      • Megapnosaurus ("Syntarsus")
  • Family Dilophosauridae
    • Zupaysaurus
    • Dilophosaurus
    • Dracovenator

References

• Rauhut and Hungerbuhler (2000). "A review of European Triassic theropods." Gaia, 15: 75-88.
• Tykoski, R. S. (2005). "Anatomy, Ontogeny, and Phylogeny of Coelophysoid Theropods." Ph. D dissertation.
• Yates, A.M., 2006 (for 2005). "A new theropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of South Africa and its implications for the early evolution of theropods." Palaeontologia Africana, 41: 105-122.

External links

• Coelophysoidea and Podokesauridae at DinoData.

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