Keichousaurus hui is a marine reptile dinosaur in the pachypleurosaur family which went extinct at the close of the Triassic Age. The adults ranged in size from 6-10 inches. They had both long necks and long tails with elongated, five-toed feet. The pointed head and sharp teeth in this species also indicates that they were fish eaters. Scientists have concluded from the heavy bone structure that this creature was making the evolutionary step from sea dweller to land dweller. Its skeletal structure had evolved to become too heavy for purely aquatic life and it was able, with its heavy forearms, to pull itself along through marshes and on dry land!This particular specimen was discovered and excavated in the gray layer of mudstone and silts of Guizhou, China. Being considered the first marine reptile dinosaur and living during the Triassic period where dinosaurs were very tiny, this creature predates the famous huge North American dinosaurs. This creature died as the result of a volcanic eruption and is preserved in the volcanic ash which covered it some 200,000,000 years ago. This rare specimen is of stunning preservation, preparation, posture and condition. The bones are clear, well defined and are set against the contrasting gray shale of the well squared section of matrix. The matrix of these specimens are normally crossed by white calcite lines which are a natural occurrence in this rock formation. As the volcanic ash dried and hardened over time, cracks formed. Water then filtered through these cracks leaving the calcite we see today. All of the very few lines in this piece are very thin and have been a natural part of this rock formation for millions of years.
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