Keichousaurus
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 Keichousaurus fossil
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Keichousaurus hui |
Keichousaurus is a genus of marine reptiles in the pachypleurosaur family which went extinct at the close of the Triassic in the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event. The name derives from Kweichow (now Guizhou Province) in China where the first fossil specimen was discovered in 1957. They are among the most common sauropterygian fossils recovered and are often found as nearly complete, articulated skeletons, making them popular among collectors. Keichousaurs, and the pachypleurosaur family broadly, are sometimes classified within Nothosauroidea, but are otherwise listed as a separate, more primitive lineage within Sauropterygia.
[edit] Description
Keichousaurs, like all sauropterygia, were highly adapted to the aquatic environment. They ranged from 15 - 30 cm. in length, had both long necks and long tails, with elongated, five-toed feet. The pointed head and sharp teeth in this genus also indicate that they were aquatic, fish-eaters. Some keichousaurs feature an especially developed ulna suggesting they may have spent some time on land or in marshes.
[edit] References
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