Reptiles Guide

Pachypleurosaurs  Fossil range: Triassic
Pachypleurosaurus edwardsi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Sauropsida   Superorder: Sauropterygia   Order: Nothosauroidea   Suborder: Pachypleurosauria Nopcsa, 1928 Family: Pachypleurosauridae Nopcsa, 1928
Genera
Anarosaurus Dactylosaurus Hanosaurus Keichousaurus Neusticosaurus Serpianosaurus

Pachypleurosaurs were primitive Triassic sauropterygian reptiles that vaguely resembled aquatic lizards, and are limited to the Triassic period. They were elongate animals, ranging in size from 20 cm to about a meter in length, with small heads, long necks, paddle-like limbs, and long deep tails. The limb girdles are greatly reduced, so it is unlikely these animals could move about on land. The widely spaced peg-like teeth project at the front of the jaws, and indicate that these animals fed on fish.

Pachypleurosaurs were originally and are often still included among the Nothosaurs (Carroll 1988, Benton 2004). In some cladistic classifications however (Rieppel 2000), they are considered the sister group to the Eusauropterygia, the clade that includes the nothosaurs and plesiosaurs.

References

• Benton, M. J. (2004), Vertebrate Paleontology, 3rd ed. Blackwell Science Ltd classification
• Carroll, R.L. (1988), Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, WH Freeman & Co.
• Rieppel, O., (2000), Sauropterygia I, placodontia, pachypleurosauria, nothosauroidea, pistosauroidea: In: Handbuch der Palaoherpetologie, part 12A, 134pp. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil Table of contents

External links

• Lepidosauromorpha: Pachypleurosauridae - Palaeos