Before the discovery of Eoraptor and Black Ruisaurus, Coelophysis had always played the role of the earliest theropod dinosaur. In northern New Mexico, scientists have discovered an unusually complete and perfectly preserved fossil skeleton of Coelophysis in the late Triassic strata. Their study shows that Coelophysis can indeed be used as a representative of early theropod dinosaurs.
Coelophysis
Coelophysis is nearly 2.5 meters long. Its body is light and its bones are hollow in the middle, which is very similar to birds. Therefore, it is speculated that it may have weighed about 20 kilograms when it was alive. Coelophysis is a standard bipedal animal. Its hind legs are shaped like bird legs and are very strong. It seems to be very suitable for walking. Its forelimbs are short and have flexible hands suitable for climbing and grabbing food. The body is balanced on the buttocks, and the tail is thin and long. Its neck is also quite long, and the front end is a delicately structured skull.
The skull of Coelophysis was long and narrow, with huge temporal openings and front eye sockets. These characteristics have laid the morphological basis for the entire theropod dinosaur family. The flattened teeth of Coelophysis are buried deep in the alveoli, are very sharp, and have serrations. Such teeth reveal the highly carnivorous nature of Coelophysis. They likely fed on small or medium-sized reptiles.
The belt of Coelophysis shows typical sauropod characteristics. The intestinal bone expands forward and backward, and is connected to the long sacral part that contains several vertebrae; the pubic bone extends forward and downward from both sides of the intestinal bone, and the ischium extends backward and downward; both the pubic bone and the ischial bone are relatively large. Long, especially the pubic bone, they are connected to the intestinal bone through a bony protrusion rather than directly connected; the socket (glolenoid socket) that accommodates the spherical femoral head is open or called penetrating. , this is the characteristic that distinguishes all dinosaurs from other reptiles.
The lifestyle of Coelophysis may also represent the basic adaptation type of theropod dinosaurs, that is, they are accustomed to living in dry highlands. Considering the living conditions in this area, the ability to run quickly and agility are of paramount importance, both in terms of hunting other animals and escaping enemies. Coelophysis also laid the foundation for the adaptation of theropod dinosaurs in this regard.
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