Coeluridae is an historically paraphyletic (unnaturally grouped) family of generally small, carnivorous dinosaurs from the late Jurassic Period. For many years, any small Jurassic or Cretaceous theropod that did not belong to one of the more specialized families recognized at the time was classified with the coelurids, creating a confusing array of 'coelurid' theropods that were not closely related. Some dinosaurs mistakenly assigned to Coeluridae in the past include Stenonychosaurus (a troodontid) and Microvenator (a close relative of oviraptorids). Although they have been traditionally included in this family, there is no evidence that primitive coelurosaurs like Ornitholestes, Proceratosaurus and Scipionyx form a clade with Coelurus to the exclusion of other traditional coelurosaur fami