archaeostomata
|ar-chae-o-sto-ma-ta|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑrkiːoʊstəˈmɑtə/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːkiːəʊstəˈmætə/
ancient mouths (primitive group)
Etymology
'archaeostomata' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'archaios' and 'stoma', where 'archaios' meant 'ancient' and 'stoma' meant 'mouth'.
'archaeostomata' was formed in modern scientific Latin by combining the Greek roots 'archaios' + 'stoma' and was established in taxonomic literature (19th–20th century) as the name for a group of bryozoans.
Initially it literally meant 'ancient mouths'; over time the compound came to denote a taxonomic group (an order of bryozoans) rather than a literal phrase.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a (historical) taxonomic group name used for an assemblage of primitive stenolaemate bryozoans; typically refers to an extinct order known from Paleozoic fossil records.
Fossils attributed to archaeostomata are commonly found in Lower Paleozoic strata.
Last updated: 2025/10/04 08:50