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Coelurus

Say it: seh-LOOR-us

Name means: “hollow tail”1

Ate: MeatMeat-eating dinosLate Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Coelurus was a small, fast meat-eater that lived in the Late Jurassic period. It ran on two long legs and had a long neck and tail. It probably hunted small animals like insects, mammals, and lizards.1

Lived

158 to 113 million years ago4

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Wyoming and Utah, USA1 4

Food

Meat1 2

Length

1.8 to 2.4 m2 1

estimates vary

Weight

13 kg to 20 kg1

Height

0.7 m1

at the hips

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How tall was it?

at the hips

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 5 house cats

as long as 5 house cats nose to tailas long as 13 bananas end to endas heavy as 4 watermelons

How big was Coelurus compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Coelurus was one of the first small theropod dinosaurs named from the Morrison Formation.1

Its name means 'hollow tail' because its tail bones were thin-walled and hollow.1

For many years, scientists thought Coelurus was the same as Ornitholestes, but a 1980 study showed they are different.1

Coelurus had a long neck and long legs, making it a fast runner.1

The only complete skeleton of Coelurus was found at Como Bluff, Wyoming, in the 1870s.1

Coelurus lived alongside famous dinosaurs like Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Diplodocus.1

AI-made picture of Coelurus — An AI-made picture of how Coelurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Coelurus

?How big was Coelurus?

About 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) long and 0.7 metres (2.3 ft) tall at the hip. It weighed around 13 to 20 kilograms (29 to 44 lb).1 3

?When did Coelurus live?

It lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 155 to 152 million years ago.1 2

?Where was Coelurus found?

Its fossils were found at Reed's Quarry 13 at Como Bluff, Wyoming, and two arm bones possibly from the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in Utah.1

?Who discovered Coelurus?

It was discovered and named by American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1879.1

?How many species of Coelurus are there?

Only one species is considered valid today, Coelurus fragilis, though six other species were named in the past.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Coelurus is the same dinosaur as Ornitholestes.

Truth: Scientists now know they are different genera, with Coelurus having longer legs and a different body shape.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Coelurus
Named by: Marsh 18794
Group: Meat-eating dinos
Family / clade: Coelurosauria4
Classification: Theropoda4
Age of the rocks: 158 to 113 million years ()4
Rock formations: Morrison, Arundel Clay4
Countries: USA4
Fossil records: 14 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: Coelurus was named by American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1879, based on a partial skeleton found in Wyoming.1 2
Still debated: Scientists are not sure exactly what Coelurus looked like because the only skeleton is incomplete, especially the skull.1

Where the facts come from

Coelurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Coelurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Old Earth Ministries Online Dinosaur Curriculum, Coelurus (oldearth.org)
Coelurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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