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

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Saurischia, ultimately from Greek sauros lizard + New Latin ischium ischium

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above