sar·cop·te·ryg·ian
| \ ˌsär-ˌkäp-tə-ˈri-j(ē-)ən
\
\
Definition of sarcopterygian
: of, relating to, or belonging to the Sarcopterygii : lobe-finned
[The coelacanth] is the only living representative of a group of sarcopterygian fishes thought to be extinct since the Late Cretaceous period … — Kim Honey, Globe and Mail (Toronto), 18 Jan. 1999 … supporting the hypothesis that the neural basis of vocal circuits arose before the divergence of sarcopterygian and actinopterygian branches of the vertebrate phylogeny.— Daniel Margoliash and Melina E. Hale, Science, 18 July 2008
Learn More About sarcopterygian
Statistics for sarcopterygian
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Sarcopterygian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcopterygian. Accessed 18 Jan. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Thing: Flower Edition
-
- Name that flower
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share sarcopterygian
Time Traveler for sarcopterygian
The first known use of sarcopterygian was in 1967
See more words from the same year