archosaurian

adjective

Meaning

Belonging to a major group of diapsid reptiles that includes dinosaurs, pterosaurs, crocodiles, and birds.

Examples

  • Paleontologists have identified several archosaurian fossils in the rock layers of the Triassic period.
  • The evolutionary lineage of archosaurian animals diverged significantly after the Permian-Triassic extinction event.

Synonyms: reptilian, diapsid, prehistoric, saurian