What Does Sauropterygia Mean?

Sauropterygia is an extinct, taxon of diverse, aquatic reptiles that developed from terrestrial ancestors soon after the end-Permian extinction and flourished during the Triassic before all except for the Plesiosauria became extinct at the end of that period.

What does sauropterygia?

: an order of Reptilia comprising forms more or less completely adapted to a marine environment and usually including the suborders Nothosauria and Plesiosauria.

Are Sauropterygia dinosaurs?

Sauropterygia ("lizard flippers"), are very successful aquatic reptiles that flourished during the Age of the Dinosaurs before they became extinct. The infraclass includes the nothosaurs, plesiosaurs, and placodonts. ... Some later sauropterygians like the pliosaurs developed a similar mechanism in their pelvis.