Diapsida
|Di-aps-i-da|
/daɪˈæpsɪdə/
two temporal skull openings
Etymology
'Diapsida' originates from New Latin (taxonomic formation), ultimately built from Ancient Greek elements: 'di-' meaning 'two' and a form related to 'apsis'/'hapsis' meaning 'arch' or 'opening' (referring to skull openings).
'Diapsida' was formed in the 19th century as a New Latin taxonomic name from the English term 'diapsid' (used to describe the skull condition of having two temporal fenestrae); the suffix -a produces a collective/clade name in New Latin.
Initially the elements described the physical skull condition 'two openings'; over time the term evolved into a formal taxonomic name denoting the clade of animals that share that skull condition.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a major clade of amniotes (reptiles and their relatives) characterized by having two temporal openings (fenestrae) in each side of the skull; includes most modern reptiles and the ancestors of birds.
Diapsida includes lizards, snakes, crocodiles, many extinct groups like dinosaurs, and the ancestors of birds.
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/30 06:02