Utatsusaurus

Utatsusaurus hataii is the earliest-known ichthyopterygian which lived in the early Triassic period (c. 245–250 millions years ago). It is nearly 3 m (about 9 feet) long with a slender body.[1] The first specimen was found in Utatsu-cho (now part of Minamisanriku-cho), Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It is the only described species in the genus Utatsusaurus and the only member of the family Utatsusauridae.[2][3] The name Utatsusaurus was given after the city.[4]The fossils have been found from the Lower Triassic of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan and British Columbia, Canada.[5]

Utatsusaurus is one of the most primitive grades of ichthyosaurs, a basal ichthyosaur.[6][7]