Brevicaudosaurus Temporal range: | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Superorder: | † Sauropterygia |
Order: | † Nothosauroidea |
Genus: | † Brevicaudosaurus Shang, Wu & Li, 2020 |
Type species | |
†Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis Shang, Wu & Li, 2020 |
Brevicaudosaurus is an extinct genus of nothosauroid marine sauropterygian from the Middle Triassic of China. The type species is B. jiyangshanensis. It was a small animal, with specimens measuring approx. 40 cm (16 in) long in total length. It had a broad, flat body, with an unusually short and flattened tail compared to other nothosaurs, which indicates that it could not swim quickly and was probably adapted to a way of life as a benthic carnivore. The holotype, IVPP V 18625, was prepared by Y.-F. Chen. [1]