Procompsognathus
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Name Meaning | “before Compsognathus” |
| Location | Germany |
| Time Period | c. 210 million years ago (Late Triassic) |
| Length | 3 ft (1 m) |
| Weight | 2.5 lb (1 kg) |
| Locomotion | Biped |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Described | 1913 (Fraas) |
| Geological Formation(s) | Löwenstein |
| Valid Species | Procompsognathus triassicus (type) |
Phylogeny: Dinosauria > Saurischia > Theropoda > Neotheropoda > Coelophysoidea > Coelophysidae
Overview: Described in 1913 by the renowned German paleontologist Eberhard Fraas, the generic name of Procompsognathus literally means “before Compsognathus”. The name, from a certain point of view, is quite accurate. Procompsognathus did indeed live before Compsognathus, being found within Late Triassic-aged rocks in Germany. Compsognathus, on the other hand, is known from Late Jurassic-aged formations, also in Germany. Fraas would chose this name as he thought it may’ve been an ancestral form of Compsognathus, or was at least related to it. Current studies of both animals find no support for this idea, however. Compsognathus was either a basal member of the Coelurosauria, making it a distant relative of birds, or is possibly based on the juveniles of some large theropod of megalosauroid or allosauroid origins. Procompsognathus was a much more basal theropod genus, not belonging to any of these lineages or groups. Indeed, it may’ve belonged to one of the oldest branching lineages of confirmed theropods.
Most recent studies classify Procompsognathus as a basal neotheropod, specifically within the superfamily Coelophysoidea. It may’ve belonged to the family Coelophysidae, making it a close relative of Coelophysis itself. Coelophysids tended to be slender-bodied theropods with narrow skulls perched on semi-elongated necks. Like its relatives, Procompsognathus probably went after smaller vertebrates or insects. Procompsognathus itself was fairly small, measuring only a meter or so in length, even as an adult (confirmed by studies of the type specimen). It may’ve been a source of food itself for larger theropods like Liliensternus. Both dinosaurs are known from the rocks of Germany’s Löwenstein Formation, alongside the basal sauropodomorph Plateosaurus. Most in the wider public may recognize Procompsognathus for being featured in the Jurassic Park franchise. In the original 1990 novel, the writer Michael Crichton took some liberties and portrayed it as both a pack hunter and venomous. No evidence for such behavior or adaptations exists, however.