sauropsid
|sau-rops-id|
/ˈsɔːrəpsɪd/
lizard-type amniotes (reptiles + birds)
Etymology
'sauropsid' originates from New Latin 'Sauropsida', ultimately from Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard' and Greek 'opsis' meaning 'appearance' or 'face'.
'sauropsid' was formed in New Latin as 'Sauropsida' (a taxonomic name) from Greek elements; the term entered scientific English usage in the 19th century to denote the reptile/bird lineage distinct from Synapsida.
Initially the roots meant 'lizard-like in appearance', but over time the term has come to denote the specific evolutionary clade that includes reptiles and birds rather than a purely descriptive 'lizard-like' group.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a member of Sauropsida, the clade of amniotes that includes modern reptiles and birds and their fossil relatives (the non-mammalian amniotes more closely related to reptiles and birds than to mammals).
The newly described fossil was identified as a small sauropsid from the Late Triassic.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/30 08:03