Triassic
Chindesaurus
Chindesaurus bryansmalli
The catalogue presents Chindesaurus as a carnivore member of Herrerasauridae that lived during the Triassic, between 225 Ma. Its estimated range is 2.5 m in length and 30 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Arizona, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Chindesaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Long and Murry (1995).
The PBDB places it in Saurischia, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Herrerasauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Herrerasauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Norian.
The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Chinle Formation (1). Provenance: United States.
The catalogue records the holotype as PEFO 27900 and the type locality as “Arizona, USA”.
- PEFO 27900
- Arizona, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 2.5 m in length and 30 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 2.5 m
- 30 kg
The record gathers 18 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 2.5 m
- Weight
- 30 kg
- Period
- Triassic
- Time range
- 225 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1995
- Described by
- Long & Murry
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Herrerasauridae
- Genus
- Chindesaurus
- Species
- C. bryansmalli
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- PEFO 27900
- Type locality
- Arizona, USA