tetrapod
noun
tet·ra·pod ˈte-trə-ˌpäd 
: a vertebrate (such as an amphibian, a bird, or a mammal) with two pairs of limbs
Did you know?
The earliest tetrapods, or "four-footed" animals, were mammal-like reptiles that evolved before the rise of the dinosaurs and ranged from mouse-sized to cow-sized. Today the tetrapods include the reptiles, the amphibians, the birds, and the mammals—including humans. Though the fish aren't classified as tetrapods, it's quite possible that our own limbs began as paired fins hundreds of millions of years ago.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The exact species and classification have yet to be determined, but the fossil is a tetrapod -- meaning animal with four legs -- and could be an early ancestor of either reptiles or mammals. 
Sherry Liang, CNN, 5 Nov. 2021 This fossil appears to be an early amniote, which is a land-living vertebrate that lays eggs, according to Adam Huttenlocker, an outside specialist on the team who researches early tetrapod fossils and is an assistant professor at USC. Sherry Liang, CNN, 5 Nov. 2021 Previous research had shown that HoxD13 is active in the developing tetrapod limb when the wrists and digits form. John A. Long, Scientific American, 20 May 2020 This gave rise to the tetrapods, or four-limbed vertebrates, that included dinosaurs, land animals and eventually humans. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 18 Mar. 2020 This tetrapod, dubbed Parmastega aelidae, looked similar to a crocodile, except its protruding eyes were on top of its head. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Oct. 2019 When this tetrapod was alive, neither threat existed yet. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Oct. 2019 Here’s an unorthodox solution to slippery soap: Shape it like a tetrapod. Liz Stinson, Curbed, 22 May 2018 Dasen and his colleagues also looked at a genetic transcription factor called Foxp1, located at the spinal cord in tetrapods. Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 9 Feb. 2018 See More
Sherry Liang, CNN, 5 Nov. 2021 This fossil appears to be an early amniote, which is a land-living vertebrate that lays eggs, according to Adam Huttenlocker, an outside specialist on the team who researches early tetrapod fossils and is an assistant professor at USC. Sherry Liang, CNN, 5 Nov. 2021 Previous research had shown that HoxD13 is active in the developing tetrapod limb when the wrists and digits form. John A. Long, Scientific American, 20 May 2020 This gave rise to the tetrapods, or four-limbed vertebrates, that included dinosaurs, land animals and eventually humans. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 18 Mar. 2020 This tetrapod, dubbed Parmastega aelidae, looked similar to a crocodile, except its protruding eyes were on top of its head. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Oct. 2019 When this tetrapod was alive, neither threat existed yet. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Oct. 2019 Here’s an unorthodox solution to slippery soap: Shape it like a tetrapod. Liz Stinson, Curbed, 22 May 2018 Dasen and his colleagues also looked at a genetic transcription factor called Foxp1, located at the spinal cord in tetrapods. Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 9 Feb. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin tetrapodus, from Greek tetrapod-, tetrapous four-footed, from tetra- + pod-, pous foot — more at foot
First Known Use
circa 1891, in the meaning defined above
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