eutherian

American  

[yoo-theer-ee-uhn] / juˈθɪər i ən /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the group Eutheria, comprising the placental mammals.

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noun

1. a eutherian animal.

eutherian British  

/ juːˈθɪərɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Eutheria, a subclass of mammals all of which have a placenta and reach an advanced state of development before birth. The group includes all mammals except monotremes and marsupials

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noun

1. any eutherian mammal

Etymology

Origin of eutherian

1875–80; < New Latin Eutheri ( a ) (< Greek eu- eu- + thēría, plural of thēríon wild beast) + -an

Example Sentences

Some of the archaic species, such as taeniodonts, might have stemmed from Cretaceous eutherian ancestors and thus would be among the most primitive placentals on the trunk of the family tree.

From Scientific American • May 17, 2022

It, or perhaps another closely related eutherian, was our ancestor.

From Scientific American • May 17, 2022

By focusing our comparison on only eutherian mammals, we discover functional elements relevant to this clade, including recent eutherian innovations.

From Nature • Oct. 26, 2011

Many eutherian elements are thus probably missing from previous maps of vertebrate constraint.

From Nature • Oct. 26, 2011

As the earliest eutherian known to date, the creature represents what some of our own precursors were like during the Jurassic.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 24, 2011