Pachypleurosauria

Pachypleurosaurs Temporal range: Induan-Carnian, 251–227 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil specimen of the pachypleurosaur Neusticosaurus edwardsii
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Superorder:	†Sauropterygia
Clade:	†Eosauropterygia
Suborder:	†Pachypleurosauria Nopcsa, 1928
Genera
†Dawazisaurus? †Diandongosaurus †Dianmeisaurus †Hanosaurus †Honghesaurus †Majiashanosaurus †Panzhousaurus †Qianxisaurus †Wumengosaurus †Keichousauridae[1] †Dianopachysaurus †Keichousaurus †Pachypleurosauridae[2] †Anarosaurus †Dactylosaurus †Luopingosaurus †Neusticosaurus †Odoiporosaurus †Prosantosaurus †Serpianosaurus †Chusaurus

Pachypleurosauria is an extinct clade of primitive sauropterygian reptiles from the Triassic period. Pachypleurosaurs vaguely resembled aquatic lizards, with elongate forms ranging in size from 0.2–1 metre (0.66–3.28 ft), 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, indicating that these animals fed on fish. In the species Prosantosaurus, it was observed that they fed on small fishes and crustaceans which they devoured entirely and that its teeth regrew after they broke off.^[3] This was the first observation of tooth replacement in a European pachypleurosaur, with the only other discovery of such an event having been made in China.^[4]

Classification

Pachypleurosaurs were traditionally included within the Nothosauroidea (Carroll 1988, Benton 2004). In some more recent cladistic classifications, however, (Rieppel 2000), they are considered the sister group to the Eosauropterygia, the clade that also includes the nothosaurs and pistosauroids.^[3] In the 2023 description of Luopingosaurus, Xu et al. supported a similar hypothesis, recovering Pachypleurosauroidea as the sister taxon to the Eusauropterygia. The results of their phylogenetic analyses are shown in the cladogram below:^[5]

Sources

• Benton, M. J. (2004), Vertebrate Paleontology, 3rd ed. Blackwell Science Ltd
• 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

References

External links

• Lepidosauromorpha: Pachypleurosauridae - Palaeos

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Sauropterygia

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Subclass: Diapsida Clade: Neodiapsida
Sauropsida see Sauropsida Sauropterygia see below↓

Sauropterygia
Sauropterygia Alexeyisaurus Hanosaurus Pomolispondylus Helveticosauridae? Saurosphargidae? Thalattosauria? Placodontiformes Atopodentatus? Palatodonta Placodontia Paraplacodus Pararcus Placodus Cyamodontoidea Psephosauriscus Psephosaurus Cyamodontida Cyamodus Sinocyamodus Placochelyida Protenodontosaurus Henodontidae Henodus Parahenodus Placochelyidae Glyphoderma Macroplacus Placochelys Psephochelys Psephoderma Eosauropterygia see below↓

Eosauropterygia
Eosauropterygia Pachypleurosauria/Pachypleurosauridae Anarosaurus Chusaurus Dactylosaurus Diandongosaurus Dianmeisaurus Dianopachysaurus Hanosaurus? Honghesaurus Keichousaurus Luopingosaurus Majiashanosaurus Neusticosaurus Odoiporosaurus Prosantosaurus Panzhousaurus Qianxisaurus Serpianosaurus Wumengosaurus Eusauropterygia Corosaurus Cymatosaurus Pachypleurosauria? Nothosauroidea Dawazisaurus? Sanchiaosaurus Pachypleurosauria? Nothosauria Brevicaudosaurus Hispaniasaurus? Simosauridae Paludidraco Simosaurus Nothosauridae Germanosaurus Metanothosaurus Nothosaurus Proneusticosaurus Lariosaurinae Ceresiosaurus Lariosaurus Silvestrosaurus Pistosauroidea Chinchenia Kwangsisaurus Tanaisosaurus Wangosaurus Pistosauria Augustasaurus Bobosaurus Pistosaurus Yunguisaurus Plesiosauria see below↓

Plesiosauria
Plesiosauria Anningasaura Bobosaurus? Lindwurmia Termatosaurus? Rhomaleosauridae Anningasaura? Archaeonectrus Atychodracon Avalonnectes Bishanopliosaurus? Borealonectes Eurycleidus Lindwurmia? Macroplata Maresaurus Meyerasaurus Rhomaleosaurus Sthenarosaurus Thaumatodracon Yuzhoupliosaurus? Neoplesiosauria Pliosauroidea Bathyspondylus Sinopliosaurus Rhomaleosauridae? Eupliosauria Stratesaurus Pliosauridae Anguanax Arminisaurus Attenborosaurus Cryonectes Hauffiosaurus Marmornectes Pachycostasaurus Rhaeticosaurus Thalassiodracon Thalassophonea Eardasaurus Gallardosaurus Liopleurodon Lorrainosaurus Megalneusaurus Peloneustes "Pliosaurus" andrewsi Pliosaurus Simolestes Brachaucheninae Acostasaurus Brachauchenius Eiectus Kronosaurus Luskhan Makhaira Megacephalosaurus Monquirasaurus Polyptychodon Sachicasaurus Stenorhynchosaurus Plesiosauroidea Eoplesiosaurus Eretmosaurus Franconiasaurus Leurospondylus Plesiopharos Plesiopterys Plesiosaurus Westphaliasaurus Microcleididae Hydrorion Lusonectes Microcleidus Occitanosaurus Seeleyosaurus Cryptoclidia see below↓

Cryptoclidia
Cryptoclididae Opallionectes Colymbosaurinae Abyssosaurus Colymbosaurus Djupedalia Pantosaurus Spitrasaurus Cryptoclidinae Cryptoclidus Kimmerosaurus Ophthalmothule Tatenectes Muraenosaurinae Muraenosaurus Picrocleidus Tricleidus? Vinialesaurus Xenopsaria Leptocleidia Hastanectes? Nichollssaura? Leptocleididae Brancasaurus Hastanectes? Leptocleidus Nichollssaura? Umoonasaurus? Vectocleidus Polycotylidae Edgarosaurus Manemergus Thililua Palmulasaurinae Pahasapasaurus? Palmulasaurus Occultonectia Plesiopleurodon Sulcusuchus Polycotylinae Eopolycotylus Georgiasaurus Mauriciosaurus Polycotylus Scalamagnus Serpentisuchops Trinacromerum Dolichorhynchia Dolichorhynchops Martinectes Unktaheela Elasmosauridae Callawayasaurus Cimoliasaurus Eromangasaurus Goniosaurus Jucha Lagenanectes Leivanectes Mauisaurus Ogmodirus Orophosaurus Plesioelasmosaurus Scanisaurus Wapuskanectes Woolungasaurus Euelasmosaurida Cardiocorax Libonectes Thalassomedon Elasmosaurinae Albertonectes Elasmosaurus Fluvionectes Hydrotherosaurus? Nakonanectes Styxosaurus Terminonatator Weddellonectia Aphrosaurus Chubutinectes Futabasaurus Fresnosaurus? Hydrotherosaurus? Kawanectes Marambionectes Morenosaurus Tuarangisaurus Vegasaurus Zarafasaura? Aristonectinae Alexandronectes Aristonectes Kaiwhekea Morturneria Wunyelfia

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