Chaohusaurus

Chaohusaurus is an extinct genus of basal ichthyopterygian, possibly ichthyosaur, from the Early Triassic of Chaohu and Yuanan, China. It has also been called Anhuisaurus and Chensaurus. It was described by Young and Dong in 1972. It was closer in form to Cymbospondylus and Mixosaurus than more advanced genera like Ichthyosaurus: it did not have the dolphin-like form of later ichthyosaurs; it had a more lizard-like appearance. It did have flippers, rather than webbed feet, but the neck is atypically long and there is no dorsal fin. The tail fin is wide-based and short. It is one of the smallest ichthyosaurs, being from 70 to 180 cm long. Its weight is estimated at 10 kg.

References

v t e Basal ichthyopterygians Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Diapsida ?Hupehsuchia / ?Nanchangosauridae ?Hupehsuchus ?Nanchangosaurus ?Omphalosauridae ?Omphalosaurus ?Tholodus ?Xinminosaurus Parvinatatoridae Parvinatator Thaisauridae Thaisaurus Utatsusauridae Utatsusaurus Eoichthyosauria Grippidia Gulosaurus Grippiidae ?Chaohusaurus Grippia Ichthyosauria Others ?Isfjordosaurus Related categories Ichthyosaurs Marine reptiles Triassic reptiles

v t e Ichthyosaurs Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Diapsida Superorder: Ichthyopterygia   Basal ichthyosaurs Basal taxa ?Chaohusaurus Quasianosteosauridae Quasianosteosaurus Hueneosauria Mixosauria Mixosauridae Mixosaurinae Barracudasauroides Mixosaurus Phalarodontinae ?Contectopalatus Phalarodon Wimaniidae Wimanius Longipinnati Cymbospondylidae Cymbospondylus Phantomosaurus Toretocnemidae Qianichthyosaurus Toretocnemus Merriamosauria Thalattoarchon ?Besanosauridae ?Besanosaurus Californosauridae Californosaurus ?Merriamosauridae ?Pessopteryx Shastasauria / Shastasauridae ?Besanosaurus ?Mikadocephalus ?Pessopteryx Shastasaurinae Guanlingsaurus Himalayasaurus Shastasaurus Shonisaurus Euichthyosauria Callawayia Guizhouichthyosaurus ?Mikadocephalus Parvipelvia Nomina dubia Pachygonosaurus Pessosaurus   Parvipelvia Hudsonelpidiidae Hudsonelpidia Macgowaniidae Macgowania Suevoleviathanidae Suevoleviathan Neoichthyosauria Hauffiopteryx Temnodontosauridae Temnodontosaurus Eurhinosauria / Leptonectidae Leptonectes Eurhinosaurus Excalibosaurus Thunnosauria Malawania Ichthyosauridae Ichthyosaurus Baracromia Chacaicosaurus Stenopterygius Ophthalmosauria / Ophthalmosauridae Arthropterygius Cryopterygius Palvennia Ophthalmosaurinae Acamptonectes Leninia Mollesaurus Ophthalmosaurus Platypterygiinae Aegirosaurus Athabascasaurus Brachypterygius Caypullisaurus Maiaspondylus ?Nannopterygius Platypterygius Sveltonectes Undorosaurus   Related categories Ichthyosaurs Marine reptiles Triassic reptiles