'anisocercal' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'anisos' and 'kerkos', where 'anisos' meant 'unequal' and 'kerkos' meant 'tail'.

'anisocercal' was formed in scientific/Neo-Latin use from Greek roots (via constructions such as Latinized 'anisocercalis') and entered English as a technical term in zoology and paleontology.

Initially it literally meant 'unequal tail'; this original literal sense has largely been retained in its technical modern use to describe unequal caudal lobes.