Dino Wiki / All dinos / Other meat-eaters

Dino card No. 1474 of 2,027

Procompsognathus

Say it: pro-comp-sog-NAY-thus

Name means: “before elegant jaw”1

Ate: MeatOther meat-eatersLate Triassic

Procompsognathus was a tiny, fast-running dinosaur that lived in what is now Germany. It had long legs and a stiff tail, and it chased after insects and lizards for dinner.1

Lived

215 to 211 million years ago4

Late Triassic

Fossils found in

Germany (Pfaffenhofen, Baden-Württemberg)1 4

Food

Meat1 4

Length

1 to 1.1 m1 2

estimates vary; Fraas in 1913 gave 0.75 m

Weight

1 kg to 1.3 kg1

Height

0.28 m1

at the hips

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

as long as 2 house cats nose to tailas long as 6 bananas end to endlighter than a house catas heavy as 11 bananas

How big was Procompsognathus compared to YOU?

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

cool stuff

Fun facts

Procompsognathus means 'before elegant jaw' because it lived earlier than a similar dinosaur called Compsognathus.1

Its shin bone was about 20 percent longer than its thigh bone, which helped it run very fast.1

The only fossil of Procompsognathus is badly crushed and was found in three sandstone blocks.1 2

Some scientists once thought the skull belonged to a crocodile relative, but later studies showed it was a true dinosaur.1

Procompsognathus lived during the Late Triassic period, about 210 million years ago.1 2

It shared its home with other early dinosaurs like Plateosaurus and the meat-eating Halticosaurus.1

AI-made picture of Procompsognathus — An AI-made picture of how Procompsognathus 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 Procompsognathus

?How big was Procompsognathus?

Procompsognathus was about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long and weighed around 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds).1 2

?What did Procompsognathus eat?

It was a carnivore that ate small animals like insects, lizards, and other tiny prey.1 3

?When did Procompsognathus live?

It lived during the Late Triassic period, about 221 to 210 million years ago.2 1

?Where was Procompsognathus found?

Its fossils were found in Germany, near Pfaffenhofen in the state of Württemberg.1 2

?How fast could Procompsognathus run?

It was a very fast runner. Its shin bone was 20% longer than its thigh bone, which is a sign of a good runner.1

?Is Procompsognathus a dinosaur?

Yes, it is a small theropod dinosaur, though some scientists once thought parts of its skull came from a crocodile relative.1 2

?Why is it called Procompsognathus?

Its name means 'before elegant jaw' because it lived earlier than a similar dinosaur called Compsognathus, which means 'elegant jaw'.1 2

?Did Procompsognathus have venom?

No, there is no evidence it had venom. The idea of a venomous bite comes from the Jurassic Park books, not real science.1

Ask Rex about Procompsognathus

Rex only answers questions about this page. 3 questions a day.

Rex is an AI and can make mistakes. He runs on servers in the EU and questions are never saved. Never type your name or other personal things.

Myth buster

Myth: Procompsognathus was a direct ancestor of Compsognathus.

Truth: The name means 'before Compsognathus', but scientists do not think it was a direct ancestor. They are separate branches of the dinosaur family tree.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Procompsognathus
Named by: Fraas 19134
Group: Other meat-eaters
Family / clade: Coelophysidae4
Classification: Theropoda > Coelophysoidea4
Age of the rocks: 215 to 211 million years (Norian)4
Rock formations: Löwenstein4
Countries: Germany4
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: The fossil was found in 1909 by Albert Burrer in a quarry near Pfaffenhofen, Germany. Professor Eberhard Fraas named it Procompsognathus in 1913.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure exactly where Procompsognathus fits in the dinosaur family tree. Some think it is a coelophysid, others place it outside that group.1

Where the facts come from

Procompsognathus (en.wikipedia.org)
Procompsognathus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Procompsognathus Fact Sheet (enchantedlearning.com)
Procompsognathus 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.

Rex is hungry! Dino Wiki is a dad's project for his dino-loving son, free with no ads. Grown-ups can feed Rex a snack to help keep it online.Feed Rex