Some Dinosaurs of the Triassic Period

Coelophysis (say SEE-low-FY-sis)
The name refers to its hollow bones.

Coelophysis lived 220-200 million years ago during the late Triassic Period. It was about 1 to 3 metres long and weighing about 30 kg.

It had a long slender neck. Coelophysis had a double hinged lower jaw, so that it could cut prey with a sawing action if necessary. Its jaws had lots of small, sharp teeth indicating that it was a carnivore. It possibly even ate other Coelophsis. It was built for speed.

In 1947, hundreds of Coelophysis skeletons were discovered buried together in New Mexico. Paleontologists believe they probably died in a flash flood.  

Plateosaurus (say PLAT-ee-oh-SAW-rus)
It lived about 22 to 215 million years ago in the Late Triassic period. Its name means 'Flat lizard'.

Plateosaurus belonged to a group of dinosaurs known as prosauropods which was related to the sauropods of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Plateosaurus was a 9 metre long herbivore weighing about 4 tonnes. It was about 4 metres tall. It evolved in the Late Triassic period and lived up till the Early Jurassic period.

It was the first of the giant dinosaurs to feed only on plants and the first to be able to feed on vegetation in trees by evolving a long neck. It had long back legs and a long tail. Its mouth was like a beak but had teeth. It walked on four legs but probably stood on its back legs and grabbed branches with the claws on its front legs as it fed on leaves. Palaeontologists believe that they may have lived in herds.

Fossils have been found in Germany, France and Switzerland

A flying reptile of this period: Peteinosaurus (say pet-INE-oh-SAW-rus)
The name means 'Winged lizard'. It was not a dinosaur, but a flying reptile living at the same time.
It lived about 222 to 215 million years ago in the Late Triassic period

It was an early pterosaur, or flying reptile, with a wingspan of about 60 cm across. It weighed about 100 grams.

Peteinosaurus had very light bones. It had sharp, cone-like teeth. It caught and ate insects as it flew. It had a long finger on its hand, and skin stretched from this to its foot to form a wing on either side. The wings were attached to the body and thigh. The straight tail was about 20 cm long, and was used to steer when it was flying.

Peteinosaurus is one of the earliest vertebrates to be able to fly rather than glide. Complete fossils were found in Cene, in the Italian Alps

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updated August 2006