proavianadj.n.
/prəʊˈeɪvɪən/, U.S. /proʊˈeɪviən/ Palaeontology.
A. adj.
Of or relating to a hypothetical animal forming an evolutionary link between fossil reptiles and fossil birds.
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the world > animals > reptiles > extinct reptiles and dinosaurs > [adjective] > of or relating to proavian
proavian1910
1910 W. P. Pycraft Hist. Birds ii. 37 It is to the earlier Jurassic formations..that we must look for traces of the pro-avian types.
1926 G. Heilmann Orig. Birds iv. 192 Before starting to reconstruct the proavian skeleton, we must try to gain a clear understanding of the particular peculiarities..that would lead on to the bird.
1999 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 266 1264/1 Proavian and Archaeopteryx-like grades of organization would not be expected to coexist with more advanced grades.
B. n.
A proavian animal. Cf. earlier proavis n., and protobird n. at proto- comb. form 2a.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > reptiles > extinct reptiles and dinosaurs > [noun] > proavian (between fossil reptile and fossil bird)
proavis1907
proavian1926
1926 G. Heilmann Orig. Birds iv. 193 We must presume that the Proavian, once having commenced living in trees, had already developed a hind-toe and a specialized hand with a long second digit.
1952 Amer. Midland Naturalist 47 561 The tail in bipedal dinosaurs..or back-thigh muscles in the proavians..and in birds.
1985 Nature 13 June 544/1 Cosesaurus was first described a decade ago as a proavian from the Middle Triassic of Spain.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1910