Cymatosaurus ridericianus (Fritsch 1894; C. erikae Maish 2914; Early (disputed) to Middle Triassic) is a basal nothosaur in the LRT.

Nothosaurus raabi (Münster 1834, N. mirabilis) Middle to Late Triassic, ~4 m in length was a rather large and toothy nothosaur. Several species are known. Derived from a sister to Lariosaurus, Nothosaurus represented the last of its lineage.

Distinct from Lariosaurus, the skull of Nothosaurus was flatter and longer. The rostrum was slightly longer and the postorbital region was much longer. The teeth were longer. The orbit was smaller. The jugal was elongated, but still a strip.

There were more cervicals and dorsals, lengthening both. The tail was longer.

The forelimb was longer than the hind. Digit 4 had only 4 phalanges.

Metatarsal 1 aligned with 2 and 3. Metatarsal 4 was longer than 3. Pedal digit 4 had only 4 phalanges.

The complete reptile family tree is here.

Sachicasaurus vitae (Páramo-Fonseca, Benavides-Cabra and Gutiérrez 2018; Early Cretaceous; 10m in length) was originally considered a short-flippered pliosaur related to long-flippered Brachauchenius characterized by two autopomorphic characters: a very short mandibular symphysis ending at the mid length of the fourth mandibular alveoli and reduced number of mandibular teeth (17-18).

Here this giant with short fingers and toes nests with Nothosaurus (above) as a late-surviving giant. Originally several bones were misidentified. The ilium is uniquely bifurcated.

The skull of Nothosaurus combining various reconstructions.

Ceresiosaurus calcagni (Peyer 1929, 1931) had a neck equal to the length of the torso and robust forelimbs.

Fritsch Kv 1894. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Saurier des Halle'schen unteren Muschelkalkes. Abhandlun- gen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft zu Halle, 20: 273-302.

Maisch MW 2014. A well preserved skull of Cymatosaurus (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the uppermost Buntsandstein (Middle Triassic of Germany. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie

Maisch MW 2014. A well preserved skull of Cymatosaurus (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the uppermost Buntsandstein (Middle Triassic) of Germany. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 272 (2): 213–224.

Páramo-Fonseca ME, Benavides-Cabra CD and Gutiérrez IE 2018. A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia. Earth Sciences Research Journal 220(4):223-238. eISSN 2339-3459. Print ISSN 1794-6190.

Peyer B 1929. Ceresiosaurus calcagnii, ein neuer Nothosauridae aus der Trias der Tessiner Kalkalpen (Abstract). Verh. Schweiz. Naturforsch. Ges. 110: 196.

Peyer B 1931. Die Triasfauna der Tessiner Kalkalpen. IV. Ceresiosaurus calcagnii nov. gen. nov. spec. Abh. Schweiz. Palaeontol. Ges. 51: 1-68.

Rieppel O 1997. Revision of the sauropterygian reptile genus Cymatosaurus v. Fritsch, 1894, and the relationships of Germanosaurus Nopcsa, 1928, from the Middle Triassic of Europe. Fieldiana Geology new series 36.

Rieppel O and Wild R 1996. A revision of the genus Nothosaurus (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from the Germanic Triassic with comments on the status of Conchiosaurus clavatus. Fieldiana 1 (34):1-82.

Rieppel O 1998. The status of the sauropterygian reptile genera Ceresiosaurus, Lariosaurus, and Silvestrosaurus from the Middle Triassic of Europe, Fieldiana. Geology #38, 1998, pp.1-46.

wiki/Ceresiosaurus
wiki/Nothosaurus
wiki/Sauropterygia
wiki/Cymatosaurus