saurischian
noun
saur·is·chi·an
(ˌ)sȯ-ˈri-skē-ən 
: any of an order (Saurischia) of herbivorous or carnivorous dinosaurs that have the pubis of the pelvis typically pointed downward and forward and that include the sauropods and theropods compare ornithischian
saurischian
adjective
Examples of saurischian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the saurischians and ornithischians are the two main branches with more specific lineages arrayed along them.
—
Brian Switek, Smithsonian, 8 Dec. 2017
Theropods have traditionally been classed as saurischians.
—Carolyn Gramling, Science | AAAS, 15 Aug. 2017
Still, succeeding generations of paleontologists came to the consensus that Dinosauria is made up of the saurischian and ornithischian branches.
—Brian Switek, Scientific American Blog Network, 15 May 2017
In the old system, ornithischians were considered plant eaters while all the meat eating dinosaurs were saurischians, meaning that the trait of eating meat could have evolved after the two main branches of dinosaurs split.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 24 Mar. 2017
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Brian Switek, Smithsonian, 8 Dec. 2017
Theropods have traditionally been classed as saurischians.
—Carolyn Gramling, Science | AAAS, 15 Aug. 2017
Still, succeeding generations of paleontologists came to the consensus that Dinosauria is made up of the saurischian and ornithischian branches.
—Brian Switek, Scientific American Blog Network, 15 May 2017
In the old system, ornithischians were considered plant eaters while all the meat eating dinosaurs were saurischians, meaning that the trait of eating meat could have evolved after the two main branches of dinosaurs split.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 24 Mar. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Saurischian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saurischian. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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