Triassic sauropterygians

Nothosaurus ('false lizard', from the Ancient Greek and ) is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile from the Triassic period, approximately 245–228 million years ago, with fossils being distributed throughout the former Tethys Ocean, from North Africa and Europe to China. It is the best known member of the nothosaur order.

Nothosaurs (superfamily Nothosauroidea) were Triassic marine sauropterygian reptiles. They averaged about in length, with a long body and tail. The feet were paddle-like, and are known to have been webbed in life, to help power the animal when swimming. The neck was quite long, and the head was elongated and flattened, and relatively small in relation to the body. The margins of the long jaws were equipped with numerous sharp outward-pointing teeth, indicating a diet of fish and squid.

Ceresiosaurus is an extinct aquatic genus of lariosaurine nothosaurid sauropterygian known from the Middle Triassic (Anisian-Ladinian boundary) of Monte San Giorgio, southern Switzerland and northern Italy. Ceresiosaurus, meaning "Lizard of Ceresio" (Ceresio is the name of the Lake Lugano, in Switzerland). The type species, Ceresiosaurus calcagnii, was named by Bernhard Peyer in 1931. C. calcagnii is known from both the Cava superiore and Cava inferiore beds of the Lower Meride Limestone at Monte San Giorgio, dating to the latest Anisian of the Middle Triassic. Rieppel (1998) suggested that th

Lariosaurus is an extinct genus of nothosaurid from the Middle Triassic (late Anisian to late Ladinian stage) of central and western Europe and China. With a complete specimen of L. xingyiensis measuring long and L. hongguoensis possibly measuring up to long, it was one of the smallest known nothosaurs. First discovered at Perledo on the Lake Como in 1830, it was named in 1847 by Curioni, its name meaning "Lizard from Larius", the ancient name of the lake. This makes it one of the earliest studied reptiles from the Alps. It is known from an almost complete skeleton holotype and several other f

thumb|Life restoration of the pachypleurosaur [[Keichousaurus]] 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 , 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

Keichousaurus (meaning "Kweichow lizard") is an extinct genus of pachypleurosaurian marine reptile from the Chialingchiang and Falang Formations of China with two known species attributed to the genus: K. hui and K. yuananensis.

Augustasaurus is an extinct genus of sauropterygians that lived during the Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic in what is now North America. Only one species is known, A. hagdorni, described in 1997 from fossils discovered in the Favret Formation, Nevada, USA.

thumb|left|Several Neusticosaurus pusillus at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin thumb|left|Neusticosaurus edwardsii

Cymatosaurus is an extinct genus of pistosauroid or nothosauriform sauropterygian. It is known to have been alive from the Early Triassic to the Middle Triassic period (latest Olenekian to Anisian stages) of Germany and they seem to originate from the Netherlands. It was small to medium-sized for an eosauropterygian, measuring long. thumb|left|Cymatosaurus and pachypleurosaur humeri

Anarosaurus is an extinct genus of pachypleurosaurs that lived in the Middle Triassic period (Anisian) and has been found in the Jena Formation and the Karlstadt Formation of Germany and the Winterswijk Quarry (Lower Muschelkalk) of The Netherlands. Two species are known: A. pumilio (the type species) and A. heterodontus. The holotype of A. pumilio was originally housed at the Institut und Museum fur Geologie und Palaontologie, Georg-August-Universitat, Gottingen, but can no longer be located today because it was lost or destroyed during World War II. Anarosaurus was a small reptile with an es

Yunguisaurus is an extinct genus of pistosaur known from the Guizhou Province of China.

Bobosaurus is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile related to plesiosaurs. It is based on the holotype MFSN 27285, a partial skeleton found in early Carnian-aged rocks (early Late Triassic) of the Rio del Lago Formation, northeastern Italy. Bobosaurus was named in 2006 by Fabio M. Dalla Vecchia and the type species is B. forojuliensis. It may be a pistosaurid, or closer to Plesiosauria. A recent cladistic analysis found it to be a more basal pistosaur. It was a relatively large animal, with more than in length.

Dianopachysaurus is an extinct genus of pachypleurosaur known from the lower Middle Triassic (Anisian age) of Yunnan Province, southwestern China. It was found in the Middle Triassic Lagerstätte of the Guanling Formation. It was first named by Jun Liu, Olivier Rieppel, Da-Yong Jiang, Jonathan C. Aitchison, Ryosuke Motani, Qi-Yue Zhang, Chang-Yong Zhou and Yuan-Yuan Sun in 2011 and the type species is Dianopachysaurus dingi, thanking a Professor Ding for his help.

Henodontidae is an extinct family of superficially turtle-like placodonts belonging to the superfamily Cyamodontoidea. Fossils have been found in Germany and Spain.

Serpianosaurus (meaning "Serpiano lizard") is an extinct genus of pachypleurosaurs known from the Middle Triassic (late Anisian and early Ladinian stages) deposits of Switzerland and Germany. It was a small reptile, with the type specimen of S. mirigiolensis measuring long.

Corosaurus is an extinct genus of pistosauroid known from Wyoming of the United States. The holotype measured about long, while larger specimens would have belonged to individuals measuring more than long.

Placochelyidae is an extinct family of placodonts belonging to the superfamily Cyamodontoidea.

Hanosaurus is an extinct genus of marine reptiles that existed during the Triassic period in what is now China. The type species is Hanosaurus hupehensis. It was a small animal, with specimens measuring long in total body length, which likely fed on soft-bodied prey.

thumb|left|Skull Odoiporosaurus is an extinct genus of pachypleurosaur known from the Middle Triassic (middle Anisian stage) Besano Formation (Grenzbitumenzone) of northern Italy. It contains a single species, Odoiporosaurus teruzzii. Odoiporosaurus is the sister taxon of the group formed by Serpianosaurus and Neusticosaurus, and together with the older and more primitive Dactylosaurus plus Anarosaurus clade, they form a monophyletic group of European pachypleurosaurids.

Honghesaurus is an extinct genus of pachypleurosaur from the Anisian-age Guanling Formation of China. The type specimen measures about in total body length.