Sanchiaosaurus

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Sanchiaosaurus is an extinct reptile from the Middle Triassic period (Anisian) of southwestern China. It is a basal nothosauroid in the group Sauropterygia. The genus contains one species, Sanchiaosaurus dengi. It is known from only one fossil, the holotype IVPP V3228, a partial skeleton seen from below that includes the skull, lower jaw, one tooth, and parts of the body. The fossil was found near Jinzhong Bridge near Guiyang in Guizhou Province, in the Guanling Formation, dating to about 245 million years ago. It was named in 1965 by Yang Zhongjian (Chung-Chien Young). The name combines the locality Sanchiao with sauros, meaning lizard.