"Groundbreaking Discovery: Ancient Sea Lizard Shatters Understanding of Armored Marine Reptiles"
The discovery of a new species of marine reptile, Prosaurosphargis yingzishanensis, in south China challenges the existing understanding of early armored marine reptiles. Belonging to the family Saurosphargidae, P. yingzishanensis had bony armor and grew to around 5 feet long. The study suggests that saurosphargids may be more closely related to plesiosaur-like sauropterygians than previously thought, leading to a proposal to reclassify saurosphargids as a sub-group of sauropterygians. The researchers also speculate that various groups of marine reptiles, including sauropterygians and ichthyosauromorphs, may be more closely related to the clade Archelosauria, which includes turtles and archosaurs, than previously believed. The presence of body armor in these reptiles suggests that it played a crucial role in their adaptation to shallow water habitats.
