Keichousaurus Fossils

Keichousaurus was a small long-necked aquatic reptile about a foot in length.  It lived during the Triassic Period, over 200 million years ago.  During the Triassic, the oldest known dinosaurs appeared. Keichousaurus skeletons come from China, a country which is famous for its exceptional fossils.  When the people of ancient China first began to discover fossils of unfamiliar creatures, they believed that they were dragon bones.  Keichousaurus had a long neck and a mouth full of tiny sharp teeth.  Skeletons found with embryos inside  suggest that Keichousaurus gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs.  Reptiles descended from fish, and even after becoming independent from the water, certain reptiles readapted to an aquatic lifestyle.

Text by Curtis Sarkin. 

Browse our Reptile Fossils.