Coelophysis vs Parasaurolophus
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Coelophysis and Parasaurolophus, covering size, diet, classification, geologic period, and discovery history.
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| Property | Coelophysis | Parasaurolophus |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coelophysis bauri | Parasaurolophus walkeri |
| Classification | Theropoda | Hadrosauridae |
| Period | Triassic Late | Cretaceous Late |
| Diet | Carnivore | Herbivore |
| Length | 3.0 m | 9.5 m |
| Height | 1.0 m | 2.8 m |
| Weight | 20 kg | 2.5 t |
| Discovery Year | 1889 | 1922 |
| Discovery Location | Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, USA | Sand Creek, Alberta, Canada |
| Named By | Edward Drinker Cope | William Parks |
Size Comparison
about the size of a human adult
roughly the length of a large SUV
Weight Comparison
lighter than a human adult
comparable to 2.5 small cars
Timeline Comparison
Diet Comparison
Coelophysis
CarnivoreCoelophysis was a meat-eating predator, hunting other animals for food.
Parasaurolophus
HerbivoreParasaurolophus was a plant-eater, feeding on vegetation like ferns, conifers, and cycads.
Classification Comparison
Coelophysis
Parasaurolophus
Did You Know?
Parasaurolophus was about 3.2x longer than Coelophysis.
Parasaurolophus weighed roughly 125x more than Coelophysis.
Coelophysis was a carnivore while Parasaurolophus was a herbivore.
Coelophysis lived during the Triassic Late while Parasaurolophus lived during the Cretaceous Late, separated by roughly 101 million years.
Coelophysis was discovered 33 years earlier, in 1889.
Coelophysis belonged to Theropoda while Parasaurolophus belonged to Hadrosauridae.
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