diapsid
/dʌɪˈapsɪd
/noun Zoology
A reptile of a large group characterized by the presence of two temporal openings in the skull, including the lizards, snakes, crocodiles, dinosaurs, and pterosaurs.
- Sometimes placed in a subclass Diapsida.
- Adding to the controversy, several independent molecular analyses also regard turtles as diapsids.
- The primitive reptiles were represented by lizard-like captorhinids and basal diapsids.
Origin
Early 20th century: from modern Latin Diapsida, from di-1 'two' + Greek apsis, apsid- 'arch'.