cotylosaur
[ kot-l-uh-sawr ]
/ ˈkɒt l əˌsɔr /
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noun
any member of the extinct order Cotylosauria, comprising heavy-bodied, splay-limbed, plant-eating reptiles that arose during the Carboniferous Period and that are considered to include the ancestors of all other reptiles.
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Also called root reptile, stem reptile .
Origin of cotylosaur
OTHER WORDS FROM cotylosaur
cot·y·lo·sau·ri·an, adjectiveWords nearby cotylosaur
Coty, cotyledon, cotyloid, cotyloid cavity, cotyloid joint, cotylosaur, cotype, coucal, couch, couchant, couché
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Scientific definitions for cotylosaur
cotylosaur
[ kŏt′l-ə-sôr′ ]
Any of a number of extinct reptiles of the group Cotylosauria or Captorhinida of the Carboniferous and Permian Periods that include the ancestors of all terrestrial vertebrates except for amphibians. Cotylosaurs evolved from early amphibians, had four sprawling legs and a long tail, and a skull without temporal openings. Also called stem reptile
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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