Enantiornithine
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ɪˌnæntiˈɔː(ɹ)nɪθaɪn/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Enantiornithine is a noun meaning (paleontology) Any of an extinct group of protobirds of the Enantiornithes.
Meaning
(paleontology) Any of an extinct group of protobirds of the Enantiornithes.
More Meanings
- Pertaining to the Enantiornithes.
Example Sentences
The lineage that led to all living birds is known as the ornithuromorphs. But it was the other branch, called the enantiornithines, that dominated the skies for tens of millions of years.
The enantiornithines were rather diverse in form and size, so it is not clear if Junornis was typical or unusual but it does mean that this form of flight was one of a number being explored by early birds.
But enantiornithine birds seem to have developed feathers in a radically different way, as Dr. O’Connor and her colleagues argued in a recent study. They hatched with bare bodies but with fully feathered wings.
Word Forms
- enantiornithines
Synonyms for enantiornithine
Depending on context, synonyms include enantiornithean.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include enantiornithean, eoenantiornithid, anchiornithid, neornithine, ornithurine, ornithocheiroid.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.