Sauropterygia

Sauropterygia is a group of extinct aquatic reptiles that lived from the Triassic to the Cretaceous periods.
They are known for their adaptations to life in the water, such as having powerful flippers, elongated necks, and diverse diets.
Some of the most famous sauropterygians are the plesiosaurs, which include the long-necked elasmosaurs and the short-necked pliosaurs.
Sauropterygians evolved from terrestrial reptiles and are closely related to turtles and lepidosaurs.

Sauropterygia is a group of extinct aquatic reptiles that lived from the Triassic to the Cretaceous periods.
They evolved from terrestrial ancestors soon after the end-Permian extinction and adapted to various marine environments.
Some of the sauropterygians were mostly confined to shallow waters, while others, such as plesiosaurs and pliosaurs, ranged from coastal to open ocean habitats.
Sauropterygians were widely distributed across the globe and left a rich fossil record on all continents.
They became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous, along with many other groups of marine reptiles.

• Placodonts: These were turtle-like animals with flat bodies and shells.

• Nothosaurs: These were long-necked reptiles with small heads and sharp teeth.

• Plesiosaurs: These were large reptiles with long necks and small heads, or short necks and large heads.