Marine reptile fossil found in China a new species

Researchers from China found a mysterious marine reptile fossil in 2017 and have now determined that it belongs to a new species. They named it Baisesaurus robustus.

The creature, measuring 3 meters long, was found in Longlin county of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region by a team from the Guizhou Geological Survey. It includes anterior dorsal vertebrae, ribs, peritoneal ribs and a limb bone and was classified as an ichthyosauromorph.

Such fossils have typical features, including vertebral bodies that are concave on two sides. Initial identification was difficult because the new fossil was missing a skull and most of its limb bones.