Utatsusaurus
| Utatsusaurus Temporal range: Early Triassic, | |
|---|---|
| Fossil | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Ichthyopterygia |
| Family: | †Utatsusauridae McGowan & Motani, 2003 |
| Genus: | †Utatsusaurus Shikama et al., 1978 |
| Type species | |
| †Utatsusaurus hataii Shikama et al., 1978 | |
Utatsusaurus hataii is the earliest-known ichthyopterygian which lived in the Early Triassic period (c. 245–250 million years ago). It was nearly 2.5–3 metres (8.2–9.8 ft) long with a slender body. The first specimen was found in Utatsu-cho (now part of Minamisanriku-cho), Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It is the only described species in the genus Utatsusaurus and the only member of the family Utatsusauridae. The name Utatsusaurus was given after the city. The fossils have been found from the Early Triassic Osawa Formation of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan and British Columbia, Canada.
Utatsusaurus is one of the most primitive grades of ichthyosaurs, a basal ichthyosaur.