New Mexico State Fossil
Coelophysis (common name) Coelophysis bauri (scientific name) STATUS Official  DESCRIPTION Coelophysis bauri was a small dinosaur that lived about 210 to 228 million years ago, during the Norian and Carnian stages of the late Triassic period. This makes Coelophysis one of the earliest known dinosaur genera, and one of the earliest known carnivorous dinosaurs. Among the most famous of all Triassic dinosaurs,Coelophysis bauri were distributed almost globally. STATE SYMBOL Some of the world's best Coelophysis fossil specimens were discovered at the quarries at Ghost Ranch, near Abiquiu, New Mexico. This site is extremely valuable to paleontology because specimens found there include adults and juveniles, as well as both sexes. From these fossils, paleontologists can learn much about the life cycle of this dinosaur. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History led a campaign to have Coelophysis bauri named the state fossil; their efforts proved successful on March 17, 1981. NAME ORIGIN The word Coelophysis comes from the Greek words κοιλος (koilos), meaning "hollow," and φυσις (physis), which means "form." The name refers to the dinosaur’s hollow bones. American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope described the species in 1889. BIOLOGY/ANATOMY Coelophysis bauri was small and slender. It measured 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3.1 m) in length and weighed approximately 50 to 100 pounds (23 to 45 kg). This dinosaur had a long neck, a long tail, large eyes, and good eyesight. It had long, grasping, clawed fingers. This and other physical characteristics are present in modern birds, the only dinosaurs living today. Coelophysis was bipedal. Its slim shape and hollow bones suggest that it was a fast, agile runner. It is believed that Coelophysis baurilived and hunted in groups. This dinosaur was carnivorous, feeding on lizards and amphibians. It was once thought that Coelophysis was cannibalistic, but stomach contents previously thought to be young Coelophysis have since been identified as small reptiles. There is no longer any evidence for cannibalism in Coelophysis bauri. EVOLUTION/EXTINCTION Flash floods were known to be common in the area that is now Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. One of these flash floods may explain the concentration of Coelophysis fossils occurring at this site. It is not known exactly why dinosaurs became extinct, but an explanation for Coelophysis bauri’s extinction may be the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event. This mass extinction wiped out nearly half of the known species at the time, approximately 200 million years ago, and marked the divide between the Triassic and Jurassic dinosaurs. Asteroid impact, volcanic eruptions, and global climate change have been suggested as causes for this event. MODERN DISCOVERY An amateur fossil collector found the first Coelophysis baurispecimens in 1881 near the Ghost Ranch site in New Mexico. In 1947, a substantial cache of well-preserved skeletons was discovered at this site, making the quarry world-renowned for numerous, well-preserved Coelophysis specimens. OtherCoelophysis bauri fossils have since been found in Arizona, and in other locations in New Mexico. The University of California Museum of Paleontology has a fine specimen from the Petrified Forest of Arizona.  TRIVIA The children’s TV series Land of the Lost, which aired from 1974 to 1976, featured a Coelophysis nicknamed Spot.
	Click to enlarge an image Artist's Rendering of Coelophysis Fossilized Coelophysis Skeleton Coelophysis Featured on Azerbaijan Postage Stamp CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda Family: Coelophysidae Genus: Coelophysis Species: C. bauri
	Author: World Trade Press