crossopterygian
[ kro-sop-tuh-rij-ee-uh n ]
/ krɒˌsɒp təˈrɪdʒ i ən /
noun
any fish of the group Crossopterygii, extinct except for the coelacanth, regarded as being ancestral to amphibians and other land vertebrates.
adjective
pertaining to or resembling a crossopterygian.
Words nearby crossopterygian
crosslight,
crossline,
crossly,
crossman,
crossness,
crossopterygian,
crossover,
crossover distortion,
crossover network,
crossover value,
crosspatch
Example sentences from the Web for crossopterygian
British Dictionary definitions for crossopterygian
crossopterygian
/ (krɒˌsɒptəˈrɪdʒɪən) /
noun
any bony fish of the subclass Crossopterygii, having fleshy limblike pectoral fins. The group, now mostly extinct, contains the ancestors of the amphibians
See also coelacanth
adjective
of, relating to, or belonging to the Crossopterygii
Word Origin for crossopterygian
C19: from New Latin
Crossopterygiī, from Greek
krossoi fringe, tassels +
pterugion a little wing, from
pterux wing
Scientific definitions for crossopterygian
crossopterygian
[ krŏ-sŏp′tə-rĭj′ē-ən ]
Any of a mostly extinct group of lobe-finned fishes of the order Crossopterygii, whose only living member is the coelacanth. One group of crossopterygians is thought to have evolved into terrestrial vertebrates beginning in the Devonian Period. See more at coelacanth.