Sachicasaurus

Sachicasaurus is an extinct genus of brachauchenine pliosaurid known from the Barremian of the Paja Formation, Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Colombian Eastern Ranges of the Andes. The type species is "S. vitae".
Etymology.
The genus name "Sachicasaurus" refers to Sáchica, the village where the fossil was found, and "saurus", meaning "lizard" in Greek. The species epithet "vitae", meaning "life" in Latin, was chosen because of the life in Sáchica the fossil find has sparked.
Description.
The holotype specimen, MP111209-1, is known from a near complete skull, and postcranial elements including a complete hindlimb and various vertebrae. Diagnostic features include a very short mandibular symphysis, reduced number of mandibular teeth (17 to 18 versus 25 to 40 in other pliosaurids), slender teeth, among other features. The specimen has an estimated length of almost . The specimen is interpreted as a sub-adult individual.
Paleoenvironment.
"Sachicasaurus" is one of four pliosaurids from the Paja Formation, others being "Acostasaurus", "Stenorhynchosaurus", and ""Kronosaurus" boyacensis". It is also contemporaneous with the elasmosaurids "Callawayasaurus" and "Leivanectes", the marine turtle "Desmatochelys padillai", the sandowniid turtle "Leyvachelys", and the ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs "Muiscasaurus" and "Platypterygius sachicarum".