sauropterygian
[ saw-rop-tuh-rij-ee-uhn ]
noun
any of various Mesozoic marine reptiles of the superorder Sauropterygia, including the suborder Plesiosauria.
adjective
of or relating to a sauropterygian.
Origin of sauropterygian
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
Scientific definitions for sauropterygian
sauropterygian
[ sô-rŏp′tə-rĭj′ē-ən ]
Any of various extinct aquatic reptiles of the group Sauropterygia of the Mesozoic Era. Sauropterygians were carnivorous, had paddlelike limbs, and included the plesiosaurs. They were distantly related to the dinosaurs.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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