synapsidan - Meaning, Image, Examples & Etymology - Learn English Visually

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synapsidan

|si-nap-si-dan|

/sɪˈnæpsɪdən/

a member of the mammal-line amniotes (Synapsida)

Etymology

Etymology Information

'synapsidan' originates from Neo-Latin 'Synapsida', formed from Greek elements 'syn-' meaning 'together' and 'apsis' meaning 'arch' or 'loop' (used in taxonomy to name the group).

Historical Evolution

'synapsidan' developed from the Neo-Latin taxonomic name 'Synapsida' into English usage as 'synapsid' (adjective/noun) and the agentive/individual form 'synapsidan' to refer to a member of that group.

Meaning Changes

Initially used as a formal taxonomic name for the clade 'Synapsida'; over time it has also come to be used as a common noun meaning 'a member of Synapsida' (including both extinct relatives and mammals).

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

a member of Synapsida, the clade of amniotes that includes mammals and their extinct relatives.

Dimetrodon is a well-known synapsidan from the Permian period.

Synonyms

synapsidmammal-line amniote

Antonyms

diapsidan sauropsid

Noun 2

sometimes used specifically for non-mammalian (early or 'pelycosaur' and 'therapsid') members of Synapsida in a paleontological context.

Many early synapsidans were dominant terrestrial predators before modern mammals evolved.

Synonyms