Pachypleurosaurus
Encyclopedia
Pachypleurosaurus is a genus
of pachypleurosaur
ian that lived during the Triassic Period. It was a basal
sauropterygian, and had a long neck. The type species
is P. edwardsi.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of pachypleurosaur
Pachypleurosaur
Pachypleurosaurs were primitive sauropterygian reptiles that vaguely resembled aquatic lizards, and were limited to the Triassic period. They were elongate animals, ranging in size from 20 cm to about a meter in length, with small heads, long necks, paddle-like limbs, and long deep tails. The...
ian that lived during the Triassic Period. It was a basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
sauropterygian, and had a long neck. The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is P. edwardsi.