Pistosauridae
Pistosauridae is a family of extinct marine reptiles within the broader group Sauropterygia. The family is typically considered to include early pistosaurs, with Pistosaurus as the type genus, and is viewed in many analyses as a basal or stem lineage related to Plesiosauria. The precise limits of the group and its exact position relative to other early sauropterygians have varied among classifications and phylogenetic studies.
Temporal and geographic range of pistosaurids is primarily Triassic. Fossils attributed to the group have been
Anatomy and lifestyle in pistosaurids reflect an early aquatic adaptation. They were marine reptiles with limb
Significance in paleontology stems from pistosaurs’ status as early relatives in the transition toward later plesiosaurs.