crossopterygian
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Crossopterygia + -an, Greek krossoí “tassels, fringe” + -o- + pterýgion “little wing or fin,” equivalent to pteryg- (stem of pterýx ) “wing, fin” + -ion + -an.
Adjective[edit]
crossopterygian (not comparable)
- (zoology) Of or pertaining to the Crossopterygii, an infraclass of bony fish. [from 19th c.]
- 2000, Richard Fortey, “No Such Thing as a Fish”, in London Review of Books, volume 22, number 13:
- One consequence was that the crossopterygian fishes (distantly related to the famous ‘living fossil’ coelacanth Latimeria) were dethroned from their privileged position as ancestors.
Noun[edit]
crossopterygian (plural crossopterygians)
- (zoology) One of the Crossopterygii.