archaeornithes
|ar-chae-or-ni-thes|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑrkiːˈɔrnɪθiz/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːkiːˈɔːrnɪθiːz/
ancient, primitive birds
Etymology
'archaeornithes' originates from Greek, specifically the combining form 'archaeo-' from 'arkhaios' meaning 'ancient' and 'ornithes' from 'ornis/ornith-' meaning 'bird'.
'archaeornithes' was coined in modern scientific taxonomy (19th century onward) by combining the Greek roots 'archaeo-' and 'ornithes' to name early fossil birds such as 'Archaeopteryx'.
Initially, it meant 'ancient birds' in a general descriptive sense; over time its use has become more technical or sometimes considered obsolete/paraphyletic as avian phylogeny has been revised.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a taxonomic grouping of primitive fossil birds (including Archaeopteryx and similar early avialans), used to refer to some of the earliest-known birds from the Mesozoic.
Fossils attributed to archaeornithes provide key evidence about the early evolution of flight.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/04 08:22