Trachelosaurus fischeri is the first fossil of this group of reptiles found outside of China. It is also the oldest long-necked marine reptile known to date.
The anatomy shows us that it is closely related to Dinocephalosaurus. The discovery and its re-evaluation are another step towards a better understanding of marine ecosystems from the early Triassic. After the great mass extinction at the Permian-Triassic boundary 252 million years ago, there was a very rapid diversification of new reptile species on land and in water.