An impression of Ceresiosaurus eating a small aquatic animal

Nothosauridae are an extinct family of carnivorous aquatic sauropterygian reptiles from the Triassic time period of China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, and northern Africa.

Phylogeny

The cladogram shown below follows Rieppel (1998)'s phylogenetic analysis of nothosaurids (bold terminal taxa contain living species). Most of these relations are still considered correct today, but despite Rieppel (1998)'s referral of Ceresiosaurus and Silvestrosaurus to Lariosaurus, some authors still consider them separate and many additional species have been named since this analysis.

Archosauromorpha Prolacertiformes Choristodera Rhynchosauria Trilophosaurus Archosauriformes Lepidosauromorpha Kuehneosauridae Lepidosauria Testudines Placodontia Pistosauroidea Corosaurus Cymatosaurus Pistosaurus Nothosauroidea Pachypleurosauria Dactylosaurus Neusticosaurus-Serpianosaurus Nothosauria Simosaurus Nothosauridae Germanosaurus Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
ArchosauromorphaProlacertiformes Choristodera Rhynchosauria Trilophosaurus Archosauriformes
Prolacertiformes Choristodera
Prolacertiformes
Choristodera
Rhynchosauria Trilophosaurus
Rhynchosauria
Trilophosaurus
Archosauriformes
Lepidosauromorpha Kuehneosauridae Lepidosauria Testudines Placodontia Pistosauroidea Corosaurus Cymatosaurus Pistosaurus Nothosauroidea Pachypleurosauria Dactylosaurus Neusticosaurus-Serpianosaurus Nothosauria Simosaurus Nothosauridae Germanosaurus Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
LepidosauromorphaKuehneosauridae Lepidosauria
Kuehneosauridae
Lepidosauria
Testudines Placodontia Pistosauroidea Corosaurus Cymatosaurus Pistosaurus Nothosauroidea Pachypleurosauria Dactylosaurus Neusticosaurus-Serpianosaurus Nothosauria Simosaurus Nothosauridae Germanosaurus Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
Testudines
Placodontia Pistosauroidea Corosaurus Cymatosaurus Pistosaurus Nothosauroidea Pachypleurosauria Dactylosaurus Neusticosaurus-Serpianosaurus Nothosauria Simosaurus Nothosauridae Germanosaurus Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
Placodontia
Pistosauroidea Corosaurus Cymatosaurus Pistosaurus Nothosauroidea Pachypleurosauria Dactylosaurus Neusticosaurus-Serpianosaurus Nothosauria Simosaurus Nothosauridae Germanosaurus Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
PistosauroideaCorosaurus Cymatosaurus Pistosaurus
Corosaurus
Cymatosaurus Pistosaurus
Cymatosaurus
Pistosaurus
NothosauroideaPachypleurosauria Dactylosaurus Neusticosaurus-Serpianosaurus Nothosauria Simosaurus Nothosauridae Germanosaurus Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
PachypleurosauriaDactylosaurus Neusticosaurus-Serpianosaurus
Dactylosaurus
Neusticosaurus-Serpianosaurus
NothosauriaSimosaurus Nothosauridae Germanosaurus Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
Simosaurus
NothosauridaeGermanosaurus Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
Germanosaurus
Nothosaurus Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
Nothosaurus
Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Lariosaurus balsami (type species of Lariosaurus)
Lariosaurus curionii
Ceresiosaurus Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
Ceresiosaurus
Silvestrosaurus Lariosaurus valceresii
Silvestrosaurus
Lariosaurus valceresii

A species level phylogenetic analysis of Nothosauridae was performed by Liu et al. (2014), and included all known valid species of the family apart from Lariosaurus stensioi (type of Micronothosaurus), Nothosaurus cymatosauroides, and Ceresiosaurus lanzi. The resultant topology is similar to the one obtained in Rieppel (1998) if the new additions are ignored, however this analysis found both Lariosaurus and Nothosaurus to be polyphyletic in regard to each-other and all other genera of the family, making a systematic revision of these two genera necessary. Below, their results are shown with type species of named nothosaurid genera noted.

Pachypleurosauria Nothosauria Simosaurus gaillardoti Nothosauridae Germanosaurus latissimus (type of Germanosaurus) Nothosaurus zhangi Nothosaurus haasi Nothosaurus edingerae Nothosaurus jagisteus Nothosaurus mirabilis (type of Nothosaurus) Nothosaurus tchemovi Nothosaurus marchicus Nothosaurus yangiuanensis Nothosaurus giganteus Nothosaurus juvenilis Lariosaurus hongguoensis Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Pachypleurosauria
NothosauriaSimosaurus gaillardoti Nothosauridae Germanosaurus latissimus (type of Germanosaurus) Nothosaurus zhangi Nothosaurus haasi Nothosaurus edingerae Nothosaurus jagisteus Nothosaurus mirabilis (type of Nothosaurus) Nothosaurus tchemovi Nothosaurus marchicus Nothosaurus yangiuanensis Nothosaurus giganteus Nothosaurus juvenilis Lariosaurus hongguoensis Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Simosaurus gaillardoti
NothosauridaeGermanosaurus latissimus (type of Germanosaurus) Nothosaurus zhangi Nothosaurus haasi Nothosaurus edingerae Nothosaurus jagisteus Nothosaurus mirabilis (type of Nothosaurus) Nothosaurus tchemovi Nothosaurus marchicus Nothosaurus yangiuanensis Nothosaurus giganteus Nothosaurus juvenilis Lariosaurus hongguoensis Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Germanosaurus latissimus (type of Germanosaurus)
Nothosaurus zhangi
Nothosaurus haasi
Nothosaurus edingerae
Nothosaurus jagisteus Nothosaurus mirabilis (type of Nothosaurus) Nothosaurus tchemovi Nothosaurus marchicus Nothosaurus yangiuanensis Nothosaurus giganteus Nothosaurus juvenilis Lariosaurus hongguoensis Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Nothosaurus jagisteus Nothosaurus mirabilis (type of Nothosaurus) Nothosaurus tchemovi
Nothosaurus jagisteus
Nothosaurus mirabilis (type of Nothosaurus) Nothosaurus tchemovi
Nothosaurus mirabilis (type of Nothosaurus)
Nothosaurus tchemovi
Nothosaurus marchicus Nothosaurus yangiuanensis Nothosaurus giganteus Nothosaurus juvenilis Lariosaurus hongguoensis Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Nothosaurus marchicus Nothosaurus yangiuanensis
Nothosaurus marchicus
Nothosaurus yangiuanensis
Nothosaurus giganteus Nothosaurus juvenilis Lariosaurus hongguoensis Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Nothosaurus giganteus
Nothosaurus juvenilis Lariosaurus hongguoensis Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Nothosaurus juvenilis
Lariosaurus hongguoensis Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Lariosaurus hongguoensis
Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus) Nothosaurus winkelhorsti
Lariosaurus buzzii (type of Silvestrosaurus)
Nothosaurus winkelhorsti
Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Lariosaurus xingyiensis Nothosaurus youngi
Lariosaurus xingyiensis
Nothosaurus youngi
Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus) Lariosaurus valceresii
Lariosaurus calcagnii (type of Ceresiosaurus)
Lariosaurus valceresii
Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus) Lariosaurus curionii
Lariosaurus balsami (type of Lariosaurus)
Lariosaurus curionii

See also