Identified as being a “swift-footed lizard” from Early Jurassic North America a small carnivorous dinosaur and was considered to be one of the earliest known dinosaurs to inhabit the eastern United States.

This nomenclature (Podokesaurus, “swift-footed lizard”) is no longer recognized by scientists because they found that it described an animal that was previously given another name which is Coelophysis; named by US paleontologist Mignon Talbot in 1911.