Coelophysis vs Pteranodon

A detailed side-by-side comparison of Coelophysis and Pteranodon, covering size, diet, classification, geologic period, and discovery history.

Side-by-Side Comparison

الخاصية Coelophysis Pteranodon
الاسم العلمي Coelophysis bauri Pteranodon longiceps
التصنيف Theropoda Theropoda
الحقبة Triassic Late Cretaceous Late
النظام الغذائي Carnivore Piscivore
الطول 3.0 m 1.8 m
Height 1.0 m 0.6 m
الوزن 20 kg 25 kg
سنة الاكتشاف 1889 1876
موقع الاكتشاف Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, USA Smoky Hill Chalk, Kansas, USA
سُمي بواسطة Edward Drinker Cope Othniel Charles Marsh

Size Comparison

Coelophysis 3.0 m

about the size of a human adult

Pteranodon 1.8 m

about the size of a human adult

Weight Comparison

Coelophysis 20 kg

lighter than a human adult

Pteranodon 25 kg

lighter than a human adult

Timeline Comparison

Coelophysis
237,0 Mya Triassic Late (Mesozoic) 201,4 Mya
Pteranodon
100,5 Mya Cretaceous Late (Mesozoic) 66,0 Mya

Diet Comparison

Coelophysis

Carnivore

Coelophysis was a meat-eating predator, hunting other animals for food.

Pteranodon

Piscivore

Pteranodon was a fish-eater, specialized in catching aquatic prey.

Classification Comparison

Coelophysis

Clade: Saurischia

Group: Theropoda

(Beast feet)

Pteranodon

Clade: Saurischia

Group: Theropoda

(Beast feet)

Both dinosaurs share a common ancestor within the Theropoda clade.

Did You Know?

💡

Coelophysis was about 1.7x longer than Pteranodon.

💡

Coelophysis was a carnivore while Pteranodon was a piscivore.

💡

Coelophysis lived during the Triassic Late while Pteranodon lived during the Cretaceous Late, separated by roughly 101 million years.

💡

Pteranodon was discovered 13 years earlier, in 1876.

💡

Both belong to the Theropoda clade, making them relatively close relatives.

Compare With Other Dinosaurs

Explore These Dinosaurs

Explore the Natural World

Discover more across the Nature FYI family