PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Coelophysoidea (coelophysoid)

Reptilia

Taxonomy

Coelophysoidea was named by Holtz (1994). Its type is Coelophysis. It was considered paraphyletic by Nesbitt et al. (2009).

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Theropoda by Nesbitt et al. (2009).

It was assigned to Ceratosauria by Carpenter (1997); to Ceratosauria by Holtz (1994), Holtz (1995), Rowe et al. (1997), Sereno (1997), Sereno (1998), Holtz (1998), Sampson et al. (1998), Sereno (1999), Holtz (2000), Tykoski and Rowe (2004); to Theropoda by Carrano and Sampson (2004), Irmis (2005); to Neotetanurae by Hendrickx and Mateus (2014); and to Neotheropoda by Rauhut (2003), Carrano et al. (2005), Yates (2005), Ezcurra (2006), Ezcurra and Novas (2007), Ezcurra (2007), Ezcurra and Cuny (2007), Carrano et al. (2012), You et al. (2014), Nesbitt and Ezcurra (2015), Martill et al. (2016), Ezcurra (2017).

Subtaxa

Coelophysidae, Dolichosuchus cristatus, Dracoraptor, Gojirasaurus, Longosaurus, Lophostropheus, Pendraig, Podokesauridae (syn. Procompsognathidae, Halticosauridae), Sarcosaurus, Syntarsus

Synonyms

Podokesauridae was named by Huene (1914). Its type is Podokesaurus.

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Coelophysoidea by Carrano (2025).

It was assigned to Compsognatha by Lull (1915); to Compsognatha by Lull (1917); to Coelurosauroidea by Nopcsa (1928); to Coeluroidae by Hay (1930); to Coelurosauria by Kuhn (1946), Parsch (1963); to Coeluria by Kuhn (1966); to Coeluroidea by Tatarinov (1964), Maleev (1968); to Coelurosaurida by Kuhn (1971); to Saurischia by Colbert (1972); to Coelurosauria by Roxo (1937), Simmons (1965), Charig (1967), Reig (1970), Benedetto (1973), Bonaparte (1978), Anderson and Cruickshank (1978), Battail (1986); to Theropoda by Bakker (1986); to Theropoda by Brinkman and Sues (1987); to Theropoda by Carroll (1988); to Coelurosauria by Huene (1914), Huene (1914), Huene (1914), Huene (1914), Huene (1914), Matthew (1915), Huene (1915), Huene (1920), Lull (1924), Huene (1929), Huene (1948), Lull (1953), Romer (1956), Huene (1959), Colbert (1964), Colbert (1964), Colbert and Russell (1969), Raath (1969), Steel (1970), Colbert (1970), Barsbold (1976), Raath (1977), Barsbold (1977), Ostrom (1980), Santafé et al. (1982), Barsbold (1983), Russell (1984), Dong (1992); and to Theropoda by Olsen and Galton (1984), Thulborn (1984), Thulborn (2006).
Dolichosuchus cristatus was named by Huene (1932). Its type specimen is NHMUK 38058, a limb element (tibia), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Billert, Kaltental, which is in a Norian terrestrial sandstone in the Löwenstein Formation of Germany. It is the type species of Dolichosuchus.

It was considered a nomen vanum by Welles (1984); it was considered a nomen dubium by Rauhut and Hungerbühler (2000), Tykoski and Rowe (2004).
Longosaurus was named by Welles (1984).

It was synonymized subjectively with Coelophysis by Paul (1988), Bristowe and Raath (2004); it was considered a nomen dubium by Tykoski and Rowe (2004), Carrano (2025).

It was assigned to Halticosauridae by Welles (1984).
Halticosauridae was named by Huene (1948). Its type is Halticosaurus.

It was synonymized subjectively with Procompsognathidae by Steel (1970); it was synonymized subjectively with Podokesauridae by Kuhn (1971).

It was assigned to Coelurosauria by Huene (1948), Bock (1952); to Coeluria by Kuhn (1966); and to Theropoda by Welles (1984).
Procompsognathidae was named by Huene (1929). Its type is Procompsognathus.

It was synonymized subjectively with Hallopodidae by Romer (1956), Maleev (1968); it was synonymized subjectively with Halopodidae by Tatarinov (1964); it was synonymized subjectively with Podokesauridae by Raath (1977), Olsen and Galton (1984), Thulborn (2006).

It was assigned to Coelurosauria by Kuhn (1946); to Coelurosaurida by Kuhn (1971); to Saurischia by Madsen and Miller (1979); to Coelurosauria by Romer (1966), Charig (1967), Benedetto (1973), Bonaparte (1978), Anderson and Cruickshank (1978), Ostrom (1981); to Coelurosauria by Huene (1929), Huene (1948), Steel (1970), Santafé et al. (1982); to Theropoda by Parrish and Carpenter (1986); and to Ceratosauria by Paul (1988).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1914	Podokesauridae Huene p. 11
1915	Podokesauridae Huene pp. 500-501
1915	Podokesauridae Lull p. 155
1915	Podokesauridae Matthew p. 32
1917	Podokesauridae Lull p. 111
1920	Podokesauridae Huene p. 162
1924	Podokesauridae Lull p. 231
1928	Podokesauridae Nopcsa p. 183
1929	Procompsognathidae Huene
1929	Podokesauridae Huene p. 270
1929	Procompsognathidae Huene p. 270
1930	Podokesauridae Hay p. 187
1932	Dolichosuchus cristatus Huene p. 31
1937	Podokesauridae Roxo p. 65
1938	Dolichosuchus cristatus Schmidt p. 73
1939	Dolichosuchus cristatus Kuhn p. 33
1940	Dolichosuchus cristatus Huene p. 37
1946	Podokesauridae Kuhn p. 65
1946	Procompsognathidae Kuhn p. 65
1948	Halticosauridae Huene p. 88
1948	Podokesauridae Huene p. 88
1948	Procompsognathidae Huene p. 88
1948	Halticosauridae Huene p. 89
1952	Halticosauridae Bock p. 405
1953	Podokesauridae Lull p. 129
1956	Podokesauridae Romer p. 611
1959	Podokesauridae Huene p. 120
1963	Podokesauridae Parsch p. 4
1964	Podokesauridae Colbert p. 11
1964	Podokesauridae Tatarinov p. 530
1965	Podokesauridae Simmons p. 53
1965	Dolichosuchus cristatus Simmons p. 57
1966	Halticosauridae Kuhn p. 92
1966	Podokesauridae Kuhn p. 92
1966	Procompsognathidae Romer p. 369
1967	Podokesauridae Charig p. 713
1967	Procompsognathidae Charig p. 713
1968	Podokesauridae Maleev p. 95
1969	Podokesauridae Colbert and Russell p. 45
1969	Podokesauridae Raath p. 2
1970	Podokesauridae Colbert p. 27
1970	Podokesauridae Reig p. 276–277
1970	Procompsognathidae Steel p. 9
1970	Dolichosuchus cristatus Steel p. 10
1970	Podokesauridae Steel p. 10
1971	Dolichosuchus cristatus Kuhn p. 15
1971	Podokesauridae Kuhn p. 15
1971	Procompsognathidae Kuhn p. 15
1972	Podokesauridae Colbert p. 5
1973	Podokesauridae Benedetto
1973	Procompsognathidae Benedetto
1976	Podokesauridae Barsbold p. 74
1977	Podokesauridae Barsbold p. 50
1977	Podokesauridae Raath pp. 260-207
1978	Podokesauridae Anderson and Cruickshank p. 31
1978	Procompsognathidae Anderson and Cruickshank p. 31
1978	Podokesauridae Bonaparte p. 321
1978	Procompsognathidae Bonaparte p. 321
1979	Procompsognathidae Madsen and Miller p. 5
1980	Podokesauridae Ostrom p. 22
1981	Procompsognathidae Ostrom p. 193
1982	Podokesauridae Santafé et al. p. 82
1982	Procompsognathidae Santafé et al. p. 82
1983	Podokesauridae Barsbold p. 86
1984	Podokesauridae Olsen and Galton p. 92
1984	Podokesauridae Russell p. 28
1984	Podokesauridae Thulborn p. 132
1984	Longosaurus Welles p. 160
1984	Halticosauridae Welles p. 177
1984	Longosaurus Welles p. 177
1986	Podokesauridae Bakker p. 460
1986	Podokesauridae Battail p. 47
1986	Procompsognathidae Parrish and Carpenter p. 154
1987	Podokesauridae Brinkman and Sues p. 502
1988	Podokesauridae Carroll
1988	Procompsognathidae Paul p. 255
1992	Podokesauridae Dong p. 164
1994	Coelophysoidea Holtz
1995	Coelophysoidea Holtz, Jr. p. 35A
1997	Coelophysoidea Carpenter p. 191
1997	Coelophysoidea Rowe et al. p. 108
1997	Coelophysoidea Sereno p. 455
1998	Coelophysoidea Holtz, Jr. p. 39
1998	Coelophysoidea Sampson et al. p. 1051
1998	Coelophysoidea Sereno p. 64
1999	Coelophysoidea Sereno p. 2138 fig. 2
2000	Coelophysoidea Holtz, Jr. p. 15 fig. 5
2003	Coelophysoidea Rauhut p. 135
2004	Coelophysoidea Carrano and Sampson p. 539
2004	Coelophysoidea Tykoski and Rowe p. 48
2005	Coelophysoidea Carrano et al. p. 835
2005	Coelophysoidea Irmis p. 81
2005	Coelophysoidea Yates p. 118
2006	Coelophysoidea Ezcurra p. 657 fig. 3
2006	Podokesauridae Thulborn p. 288
2007	Coelophysoidea Ezcurra p. 186
2007	Coelophysoidea Ezcurra and Cuny p. 79
2007	Coelophysoidea Ezcurra and Novas p. 46 fig. 12
2012	Coelophysoidea Carrano et al. p. 248 fig. 7
2014	Coelophysoidea Hendrickx and Mateus
2014	Coelophysoidea You et al.
2015	Coelophysoidea Nesbitt and Ezcurra
2016	Coelophysoidea Martill et al. p. 34 fig. 28
2017	Coelophysoidea Ezcurra p. 531 fig. 12

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida

Rank	Name	Author
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Dinosauromorpha
—	Dinosauriformes
—	Dinosauria	()
—	Theropoda	()
—	Neotheropoda
superfamily	Coelophysoidea
superfamily	Coelophysoidea

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Superfm. †Coelophysoidea Holtz 1994 [coelophysoid]

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Fm. †Coelophysidae Paul 1988

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Subfm. †Coelophysinae Nopcsa 1928

G. †Camposaurus Hunt et al. 1998

†Camposaurus arizonensis Hunt et al. 1998

G. †Coelophysis Cope 1889

†Coelophysis bauri Cope 1887

Invalid names: Coelurus longicollis Cope 1887 [synonym], Rioarribasaurus colberti Hunt and Lucas 1991 [synonym], Tanystropheus willistoni Cope 1887 [synonym]

Invalid names: Podokesaurus Talbot 1911 [synonym], Rioarribasaurus Hunt and Lucas 1991 [objective synonym]

G. †Lepidus Nesbitt and Ezcurra 2015

†Lepidus praecisio Nesbitt and Ezcurra 2015

G. †Segisaurus Camp 1936

†Segisaurus halli Camp 1936

G. †Lucianovenator Martinez and Apaldetti 2017

†Lucianovenator bonoi Martinez and Apaldetti 2017

G. †Megapnosaurus Ivie et al. 2001

†Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis Raath 1969

G. †Panguraptor You et al. 2014

†Panguraptor lufengensis You et al. 2014

G. †Powellvenator Ezcurra 2017

†Powellvenator podocitus Ezcurra 2017

G. †Procompsognathus Fraas 1913 [before elegant jaw]

†Procompsognathus triassicus Fraas 1913

Invalid names: Hallopus celerrimus Fraas 1912 [objective synonym]

Invalid names: Halticosaurinae Paul 1988 [empty], Procompsognathinae Nopcsa 1923 [empty]

G. †Dracoraptor Martill et al. 2016

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†Dracoraptor hanigani Martill et al. 2016

G. †Gojirasaurus Carpenter 1997

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†Gojirasaurus quayi Carpenter 1997

G. †Lophostropheus Ezcurra and Cuny 2007

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†Lophostropheus airelensis Cuny and Galton 1993

G. †Pendraig Spiekman et al. 2021

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†Pendraig milnerae Spiekman et al. 2021

G. †Sarcosaurus Andrews 1921

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†Sarcosaurus woodi Andrews 1921

Invalid names: Sarcosaurus andrewsi Huene 1932 [synonym]

G. †Syntarsus Raath 1969

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†Syntarsus kayentakatae Rowe 1989

Invalid names: Dolichosuchus cristatus Huene 1932 [nomen dubium], Longosaurus Welles 1984 [nomen dubium], Podokesauridae Huene 1914 [invalid subgroup]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

hydroxyapatiteo

Entire body:

yeso

Adult length:

10 to < 100o

Adult width:

1.0 to < 10o

Adult height:

1.0 to < 10o

Maximum body mass:

100 kgg

Minimum body mass:

1 kgg

Architecture:

compact or denseo

Ontogeny:

accretion, modification of partso

Grouping:

solitaryo

Environment:

terrestrialo

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

ground dwellingo

Diet:

carnivoreo

Reproduction:

oviparouso

Dispersal:

direct/internalo

Dispersal 2:

mobileo

Created:

2004-12-14 12:50:08

Modified:

2004-12-14 14:50:08

Source: g = genus, o = order

References: Marsh 1875, Peczkis 1995

Age range: base of the Carnian to the top of the Callovian or 237.00000 to 163.50000 Ma

Collections (73 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Carnian	237.0 - 228.0	United Kingdom (Wales)	Pendraig milnerae (27012)
Carnian - Norian	237.0 - 208.5	USA (Texas)	Coelophysis sp. (71979 98596)
Late/Upper Triassic	237.0 - 201.4	Zimbabwe (Matabeleland North)	Syntarsus rhodesiensis (34779)
Late/Upper Triassic	237.0 - 201.4	USA (Texas)	Coelophysis sp. (39671)
Late/Upper Triassic - Early/Lower Jurassic	237.0 - 174.7	USA (Utah)	Coelophysoidea indet. (183201)
Norian	228.0 - 208.5	Germany (Baden-Württenburg)	Dolichosuchus cristatus (92087)
Norian	228.0 - 208.5	Argentina (La Rioja)	Coelophysoidea indet. (105691)
Norian	228.0 - 208.5	USA (Arizona)	Camposaurus arizonensis (39160) Coelophysidae indet. (92850) Coelophysis bauri (49500 57687) Coelophysis sp. (57685)
Norian	228.0 - 208.5	Argentina (San Juan)	Coelophysoidea indet. (182613)
Norian	228.0 - 208.5	USA (New Mexico)	Coelophysis bauri (54167) Coelophysis sp. (54006 54008 54009 54010 54011 54012 54013 54014 57071 58106) Coelophysis sp., Coelophysis bauri (54168) Coelophysoidea indet. (74202 89256) Coelurus longicollis, Coelurus bauri, Tanystropheus willistoni (52498) Procompsognathidae indet. (49499)
Norian	228.0 - 208.5	USA (Texas)	Coelophysis sp. (67699) Lepidus praecisio (196651)
Norian - Rhaetian	228.0 - 201.3	USA (Colorado)	Coelophysis sp. (178451)
Norian - Rhaetian	228.0 - 201.3	Poland (Slaskie)	Coelophysoidea indet. (85500)
Lacian - Sevatian	221.5 - 205.6	USA (New Mexico)	Eucoelophysis sp., Ceratosauria indet. (62311)
Alaunian	215.56 - 212.0	Germany (Baden-Württemberg)	Procompsognathus triassicus (47800)
Alaunian	215.56 - 212.0	Greenland	Coelophysoidea indet. (220328)
Rhaetian	208.5 - 201.3	USA (Arizona)	Ceratosauria indet. (84015)
Rhaetian	208.5 - 201.3	USA (New Mexico)	Coelophysis bauri (48422)
Rhaetian - Hettangian	208.5 - 199.3	USA (Arizona)	Syntarsus sp. (52086)
Rhaetian - Hettangian	208.5 - 199.3	France (Basse-Normandie)	Halticosaurus sp. (49654)
Hettangian	201.3 - 199.3	United Kingdom (Wales)	Dracoraptor hanigani (176060)
Hettangian	201.3 - 199.3	USA (Connecticut)	Coelophysis sp. (47198)
Hettangian	201.3 - 199.3	China (Yunnan)	Panguraptor lufengensis (49501)
Hettangian	201.3 - 199.3	USA (Utah)	Megapnosaurus sp. (157016)
Late/Upper Hettangian	201.3 - 196.5	United Kingdom (England)	Megalosauridae indet. (37812)
Hettangian - Sinemurian	201.3 - 190.8	Zimbabwe (Mashonaland North)	Syntarsus rhodesiensis (50823)
Hettangian - Sinemurian	201.3 - 190.8	USA (Massachusetts)	Podokesaurus holyokensis (34698)
Hettangian - Sinemurian	201.3 - 190.8	South Africa (Free State)	Coelophysis rhodesiensis (47031) Syntarsus rhodesiensis (45531 48391) Syntarsus sp. (75195 75262 232321)
Hettangian - Sinemurian	201.3 - 190.8	Zimbabwe (Matabeleland North)	Coelurosauria indet. (48392) Syntarsus rhodesiensis (22663 50824)
Hettangian - Sinemurian	201.3 - 190.8	USA (Arizona)	Syntarsus kayentakatae (214349 216632)
Sinemurian	199.3 - 190.8	China (Yunnan)	Ceratosauroidea indet. (49773) Podokesauridae indet., Podokesauridae indet. (72091)
Sinemurian	199.3 - 190.8	United Kingdom (Scotland)	Ceratosauria indet. (32316)
Sinemurian - Pliensbachian	199.3 - 182.7	USA (Arizona)	Coelophysoidea indet., Syntarsus kayentakatae (35250) Syntarsus kayentakatae (13280 35248 35249)
Early/Lower Sinemurian	196.5 - 189.6	United Kingdom (England)	Sarcosaurus woodi (71400 71401)
Pliensbachian	190.8 - 182.7	Mexico (Tamaulipas)	Coelophysoidea indet. (136970)
Pliensbachian	190.8 - 182.7	USA (Arizona)	Segisaurus sp. (191751)
Pliensbachian - Toarcian	190.8 - 174.1	USA (Arizona)	Dinosauria indet. (25306)
Bathonian - Callovian	168.3 - 163.5	China (Xinjiang)	Coelophysoidea indet. (38136)
Callovian - Oxfordian	166.1 - 157.3	China (Xinjiang)	Coelophysoidea indet. (38135)