Pachypleurosaurs Temporal range:Induan-Carnian,251–227 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil specimen of the pachypleurosaurNeusticosaurus edwardsii
Scientific classification
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 †Chusaurus †Dactylosaurus †Luopingosaurus †Neusticosaurus †Odoiporosaurus †Prosantosaurus †Serpianosaurus

Pachypleurosauria is anextinct clade of primitivesauropterygian reptiles from theTriassic 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. Thelimb 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 onfish. In the speciesProsantosaurus, 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]

Pachypleurosaurs were traditionally included within theNothosauroidea (Carroll 1988, Benton 2004). In some more recentcladistic classifications, however, (Rieppel 2000), they are considered thesister group to theEosauropterygia, theclade that also includes thenothosaurs andpistosauroids.^[3] In the 2023description ofLuopingosaurus, Xuet al. supported a similar hypothesis, recovering Pachypleurosauroidea as the sister taxon to the Eusauropterygia. The results of theirphylogenetic analyses are shown in thecladogram below:^[5]

• 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 PfeilTable of contents

• Lepidosauromorpha: Pachypleurosauridae - Palaeos

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