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Dpaul7

By Dpaul7

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Keichousaurus Fossil
 
Guizhou Xingyi China
Middle Triassic (~210 million years ago)
Keichousaurus is a genus of marine reptile in the pachypleurosaur family which went extinct at the close of the Triassic in the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event. The name derives from Kweichow (now Guizhou Province) in China where the first fossil specimen was discovered in 1957. They are among the most common sauropterygian fossils recovered and are often found as nearly complete, articulated skeletons, making them popular among collectors. Keichousaurus, and the pachypleurosaur family broadly, are sometimes classified within Nothosauroidea, but are otherwise listed as a separate, more primitive lineage within Sauropterygia. Keichousaurus, like all sauropterygians, was highly adapted to the aquatic environment. Individuals of this genus ranged up to 2.7 m in length, and had both long necks and long tails, with elongated, five-toed feet. The pointed head and sharp teeth in this genus also indicate that they were fish-eaters. Some recovered specimens feature an especially developed ulna suggesting they may have spent some time on land or in marshes. In addition fossil evidence suggest also a pair of fossilized pregnant marine reptiles called Keichousaurus hui, show they had a mobile pelvis to give birth to live young rather than laying eggs.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: †Sauropterygia
Order: †Nothosauroidea
Family: †Keichousauridae
Genus: †Keichousaurus

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MY FOSSIL Collection - Dpaul7

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Miocene_Mason

Miocene_Mason

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Nice, no repairs on this one it looks like (which is hard to find)!

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Dpaul7

@WhodamanHD - I was REALLY happy with this one... Yes, came from China, Guangzhou.  I was on pins & needles till it got here! 

I cannot WAIT to go hunting in the Spring!  We used to always find Ginko Leaf fossils... I decided I wanted one, so I took a look around....

WOW!  Really expensive! When the weather breaks, I will go along the highway cuts looking... One 3 blocks down the street from me, we used to really find nice things there - and I think still can.

My theory on some of the Pleasantville Mountain fossils - Lots of state game lands there, so when they clean up a (fossil-rich) rock slide... they take it there.  The "native" fossils are all in sandstone-like rock..... the SLATE ones with lots of detail... I want to find THAT dumping ground!

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Miocene_Mason

Miocene_Mason

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@Dpaul7 I wonder what formation that could be? A similar thing happens in the purslane FM of Maryland, if you’ve ever seen the sidelong Hill cut (the bottom fringes are dubbed the Rockwell Formation). It’s got alternating layers of sandstone (mostly unfossiliferous), and shale (fossiliferous). I think this is due to sea encroachment as in the west of Maryland the purslane is just fossiliferous shale (haven’t hunted there yet but seen amazing things, Carboniferous bugs and plants). The bay and Potomac have frozen on the edges so my attention is now purely on the west,north, and south. I can’t wait till spring for a nice warm hunt!

ABC51608-C96D-4ACF-B833-4ACECAE75085.jpeg

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Dpaul7

Our formation in my neighborhood is marcellus shale, I think.  Have to look it up!

 

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