Spatulidentatus

Spatulidentatus is an extinct genus of basal sauropterygian, part of a group of marine reptiles, known from the Middle Triassic Guanling Formation of China. The genus contains a single species, Spatulidentatus breviceps, known from a single articulated skeleton including the skull. With a body length of 2.7 m (8.9 ft), Spatulidentatus is a medium-sized sauropterygian. It is characterized by a short snout, a proportionally small skull, jaws bearing spatulate teeth, tall neural spines on the back and tail vertebrae, and an expanded end of the humerus.