Age of Reptiles
1
8.0
- noun
- Specialized
:
Era de los Reptiles
- Scientists believe that the Age of Reptiles played a crucial role in the evolution of modern birds.
Examples
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Many dinosaur fossils have been found from the Age of Reptiles.
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The dinosaurs thrived during the Age of Reptiles, which lasted for millions of years.
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Paleontologists study the Age of Reptiles to understand Earth's prehistoric life.
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The extinction event at the end of the Age of Reptiles led to the rise of mammals.
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The Age of Reptiles lasted for millions of years.
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During the Age of Reptiles, dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
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Fossils from the Age of Reptiles provide valuable insights into ancient ecosystems.
Synonyms
1
7.2
A time about 230 to 63 million years ago when dinosaurs lived and early mammals and birds appeared
A period about 230 to 63 million years ago when dinosaurs were the main animals
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'age' means a historical period, 'of' links to the noun, and 'reptiles' names the class of animals, so the overall meaning is a period characterized by reptiles (i.e. the Mesozoic). This 'Age of X' pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would grasp the general meaning even if they don't know the exact dates.
Etymology
Age of Reptiles comes from the idea that, for a very long time, reptiles like dinosaurs were the main animals on Earth. The word age means a long 'period' and reptiles are those animals, so the phrase means the time when reptiles 'ruled' the land.