在1881年,業餘化石搜集者David Baldwin發現腔骨龍的第一個化石。在1889年,愛德華·德林克·科普(Edward Drinker Cope)將其命名為腔骨龍,當時他在與奧塞內爾·查利斯·馬什(Othniel Charles Marsh)展開名為骨頭大戰的長期競爭[15]。模式種是鮑氏腔骨龍(C. bauri)是為向科普提供化石的喬治·鮑爾(George Baur)而命名。不過這套化石的保存狀況很差,很難拼湊出腔骨龍的完整外貌。
於1947年,在美國新墨西哥州首次發現地點附近的幽靈牧場,發現了一個大量的腔骨龍屍骨層。這麼多腔骨龍的化石可能是由突然的洪水所造成,將牠們集體沖走、掩埋。事實上,這類洪水在地球歷史的這段時期甚為普遍,而亞利桑那州的石化林國家公園就是由一次類似的洪水所造成的。在1989年,埃德溫·科爾伯特(Edwin H. Colbert)替所有已發現的化石進行了一次完整的研究[10],埃德溫·爾伯特的研究提供很多有關腔骨龍的資料。幽靈牧場的大量標本,包括完整保存的標本,其中一個取代了原有的標本,而成為了作為分析的模式標本。
Gay, Robert J. 2001. "An unusual adaptation in the caudal vertebrae of Coelophysis bauri (Dinosauria: Theropoda)." PaleoBios 21: supplement to number 2. Page 55.
Gay, Robert. 2010. "Evidence related to the cannibalism hypothesis in Coelophysis bauri from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. In: Notes on Early Mesozoic Theropods. Lulu Press. pp. 9-18. ISBN 978-0-557-46616-0
Nesbitt, S.J., Turner, A.H., Erickson, G.M., and Norell, M.A. (2006). "Prey choice and cannibalistic behaviour in the theropod Coelophys." Biology Letters, First Cite Early Online Publishing doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0524.
Rinehart, L., Hunt, A., Lucas, S., Heckert, A., and Smith, J. (2005). "New evidence of cannibalism in the Late Triassic (Apachean) dinosaur, Coelophysis bauri (Theropoda: Ceratosauria)." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 25(105A).
Gay, R. 2005. Sexual Dimorphism in the Early Jurassic Theropod Dinosaur Dilophosaurus and a Comparison with Other Related Forms; pp. 277-283 in K. Carpenter (ed.), The Carnivorous Dinosaurs. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN.
Rothschild, B., Tanke, D. H., and Ford, T. L., 2001, Theropod stress fractures and tendon avulsions as a clue to activity: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, p. 331-336.
Colbert, E. H., Charig, A.J., Dodson, P., Gillette, D. D., Ostrom, J.H. & Weishampel, D.B. (1992). Coelurus bauri Cope, 1887 (currently Coelophysis bauri; Reptilia, Saurischia): Proposed replacement of the lectotype by a neotype. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 49 (4), pp. 276-279.
Sullivan and Lucas (1999). "Eucoelophysis baldwini, a new theropod dinosaur from the Upper Triassic of New Mexico, and the status of the original types of Coelophysis". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 19(1): 81-90
R. B. Irmis, S. J. Nesbitt, and W. G. Parker. (2005). "A critical review of the Triassic North American dinosaur record." In A. W. A. Kellner, D. D. R. Henriques, & T. Rodrigues (eds.), II Congresso Latino-Americano de Paleontologia de Vertebrados, Boletim de Resumos. Museum Nacional/UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro 139.