amniote

noun

am·ni·ote | \ ˈam-nē-ˌōt

Definition of amniote

: any of a group (Amniota) of vertebrates that undergo embryonic or fetal development within an amnion and include the birds, reptiles, and mammals

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Examples of amniote in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The fossilized critter is an amniote—a land-dwelling vertebrate that lays eggs— and has four legs. — Rasha Aridi, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Nov. 2021 This fossil appears to be an early amniote, which is a land-living vertebrate that lays eggs, according to Adam Huttenlocker, an outside specialist on the team who researches early tetrapod fossils and is an assistant professor at USC. — Sherry Liang, CNN, 5 Nov. 2021 This new kind of animal, that Dawson would name Hylonomus lyelli, remains the earliest amniote in the fossil record. — Hillary Maddin, Smithsonian, 18 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amniote.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.