heterostracan

[het-uh-ros-truh-kuhn]

noun

Paleontology.

1. any of several ostracoderms of the order Heterostraci, from the Silurian and Devonian Periods, having the anterior part of the body enclosed in bony plates.

Word History and Origins

Origin of heterostracan¹

< New Latin Heterostrac(i) (plural) name of the order, equivalent to heter- heter- ( def. ) + Greek  ostrak(ón) (singular) “shell” + -an

Example Sentences

The exact nature of heterostracan feeding remains an open question.

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