Definition of ornithischian in English:
ornithischian
adjective ˌɔːnɪˈθɪskɪənˌɔːnɪˈθɪʃɪənˌôrnəˈTHiskēən
Relating to or denoting herbivorous dinosaurs of an order distinguished by having a pelvic structure resembling that of birds.
Compare with saurischian
Example sentencesExamples
- The williams Fork Formation preserves a diverse dinosaur fauna containing at least nine saurischian and five ornithischian species.
- The only definite ornithischian materials known from this unit are the fragmentary holotype specimens of Tatisaurus and Bienosaurus and some indeterminate postcranial material.
- The main reason is the lack of good specimens; theropod remains are fairly rare and more often than not fragmentary - theropods have a poor fossil record compared to most of the ornithischian dinosaurs.
- The University of California Museum of Paleontology is proud to present displays of ornithischian dinosaurs.
- Meanwhile, the much smaller ornithischian dinosaurs - the ornithopods and stegosaurs - browsed on the undergrowth.
noun ˌɔːnɪˈθɪskɪənˌɔːnɪˈθɪʃɪənˌôrnəˈTHiskēən
An ornithischian dinosaur.
Order Ornithischia, superorder Dinosauria; comprises the stegosaurs, ankylosaurs, ornithopods, pachycephalosaurs, and ceratopsians
Example sentencesExamples
- The evidence of nesting and parental care in ornithischian, sauropod, and theropod dinosaurs is extensive.
- The thyreophorans are the armored ornithischians: the stegosaurs and ankylosaurs.
- Ceratopsians were ornithischians, or ‘bird-hipped’ dinosaurs.
- A number of interesting structural adaptations were developed within the ornithischians.
- The reasons for the extreme rarity of ornithischians in the Lower Jurassic of China are unclear at present.
Origin
Early 20th century: from modern Latin Ornithiscia, from Greek ornis, ornith- 'bird' + iskhion 'hip joint'.