Wapitisaurus
| Wapitisaurus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Thalattosauria |
| Superfamily: | †Thalattosauroidea |
| Genus: | †Wapitisaurus Brinkman, 1988 |
| Type species | |
| Wapitisaurus problematicus Brinkman, 1988 | |
Wapitisaurus is an extinct genus of thalattosaur from the Early Triassic. Its type and only species is Wapitisaurus problematicus. Its remains were discovered in the Vega-Phroso Member of the Sulphur Mountain Formation in British Columbia, Canada.
Wapitisaurus was originally described as a member of Weigeltisauridae, a family of gliding reptiles that otherwise is only known from the Permian period. However, subsequent study determined it was a member of Thalattosauria, a group of unusual marine reptiles that lived during the Triassic period. The length of Wapitisaurus has been estimated to be between 1 and 1.9 metres (3.3 and 6.2 ft), similar to other thalattosaurs.