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crossopterygian

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crossopterygian

Main Entry:: cros·sop·ter·yg·ian
Pronunciation:: \ˌkrȯ-ˌsäp-tə-ˈri-j(ē-)ən\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: New Latin Crossopterygii, subclass name, from Greek krossoi fringe + pterygion, diminutive of pteryg-, pteryx wing, fin; akin to Greek pteron wing — more at feather
Date:: 1861

: any of a subclass (Crossopterygii) of bony fishes (as a coelacanth) that have paired fins suggesting limbs, that may be ancestral to the terrestrial vertebrates, and that are mostly extinct —called also lobe-fin

— crossopterygian adjective

Learn more about "crossopterygian" and related topics at Britannica.com

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