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| Creature information | |
| Scientific name : | Coelophysis kayentakatae |
| Time period : | Early Jurassic |
| Primary diet : | Carnivore |
| In the documentary | |
Coelophysis kayentakatae (previously known as Syntarsus and Megapnosaurus ) was a small coelophysoid dinosaur. The old name Syntarsus is still commonly being used to refer to this dinosaur in popular culture. It's main prey was Scutellosaurus and Anchisaurus, and it's main enemy and predator was Dilophosaurus. It was one of the few coelophysoids to survive in the Jurassic period.
In When Dinosaurs Roamed America
In the early Jurassic segment, a pack of Coelophysis (identified as Syntarsus) is seen hunting an Anchisaurus. One gets hurt and maybe killed in the process. The pack chases the herd of Anchisaurus and corners one of them. But just as they prepare for the kill, a Dilophosaurus is seen stopping the hunt. The Coelophysis run off. Later, when the predators are eating the carcass, another Dilophosaurus chases them off.
Errors
- Anchisaurus is shown to be larger than Coelophysis but in real life it was the quite the opposite. This is because the Anchisaurus shown on the program was based on a larger animal named Ammosaurus, which was considered to be synonymous for some time with the former until it was proven to be its own genus.
- The narrator said Coelophysis is related to Dilophosaurus as a ceratosaurid but Coelophysis is a coelophysid and Dilophosaurus is a dilophosaurid and both groups aren't related at all with ceratosaurs.
- Syntarsus is actually a species of Coelophysis.
- Coelophysis' hands couldn't pivot without breaking them.
- Coelophysis may have had feathers, but it's still debated.
Coelophysis eating of a carcass
