Sinocyamodus

Sinocyamodus was a placodont, a group of marine reptiles that were not dinosaurs but relatives of modern turtles.1

It was the first placodont discovered in the eastern Tethys Ocean, showing that these reptiles were not only found in the western Tethys as scientists once thought.1

Only one species is known: Sinocyamodus xinpuensis.1

The first adult specimen was reported in 2018, and it looked different from younger fossils, showing that Sinocyamodus changed as it grew.1

Sinocyamodus lived in a marine environment during the Late Triassic, about 232 to 222 million years ago.12

Its fossils have been found in the Xiaowa Formation in Guizhou, China.12