protoavis

[proh-toh-ey-vis]

noun

1. a fossil bird of the genus Protoavis, from the Triassic Period, having a birdlike, partly toothless jaw structure, a tail and hind legs resembling those of the dinosaur, and the hollow bones and keellike breast that are characteristic of modern birds: the oldest known avian type, preceding the archaeopteryx by an estimated 75 million years.

Word History and Origins

Origin of protoavis¹

< New Latin (1986), equivalent to Greek proto- proto- + Latin avis bird

Example Sentences

They suggest that Protoavis was a contemporary of the earliest dinosaurs.

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But Protoavis has even more birdlike features than its younger cousin, Chatterjee believes.

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Tiny bumps along Protoavis' forelimbs could indicate where feathers were attached.

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