Hupehsuchus
Hupehsuchus is an extinct genus of small marine reptiles, about 1 m (3 ft) long, found in the area of Hubei in China. This marine reptile lived in the Olenekian stage of the Early Triassic period. Description. "Hupehsuchus" was similar to its close relative, "Nanchangosaurus", but differed from it in a number of ways. For example, "Hupehsuchus" had heavier armor on its back than "Nanchangosaurus", and its back spines were more finely divided, giving it a more crocodile-like appearance than "Nanchangosaurus". It had a thin, long snout like a gharial, river dolphin, or ichthyosaur, which it probably used  to snag fish or probe for aquatic invertebrates. Classification. Exactly to what species "Hupehsuchus" is related is unknown. Fairly clearly, it shares a close relationship with "Nanchangosaurus", but other relations are unknown. Many features, including the discovery of polydactyly, suggest that "Hupehsuchus" is related to the ichthyosaurs, but the fact that "Hupehsuchus"' extra digits include more bones in the hand, rather than just the fingers as in the ichthyosaurs, may discredit that theory. It, along with "Nanchangosaurus", seems to be so different from any other reptile that a new order has been constructed for the two genera called Hupehsuchia. Hupehsuchus