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Glite Dictionary
marginocephalian

marginocephalian

9.9
A plant-eating dinosaur with a bony frill at the back of the skull
  • noun
  • /ˌmɑrdʒɪnoʊˈsɛfəliən/
  • Specialized
: marginocefálico
  • The fossil belonged to a marginocephalian, a group known for their elaborate skulls.

Examples

  • Ceratopsians, a subgroup of marginocephalians, often had prominent facial horns.

  • Researchers discovered that marginocephalians displayed a wide variety of horn shapes.

  • The marginocephalian dinosaurs were fascinating creatures.

  • Did you know that a marginocephalian has a unique skull structure?

  • Ceratopsians, a subgroup of marginocephalians, often had prominent facial horns.

  • Researchers discovered that marginocephalians displayed a wide variety of horn shapes.

  • The fossil belonged to a marginocephalian, a group known for their elaborate skulls.

Surface Forms

marginocephalian singular
marginocephalians plural

Morphology

marginocephalian = Marginocephalia (opaque) = margino + cephal + ian

Forming a member/relational adjective from a taxonomic name with the productive suffix '-ian' is a regular morphological step, but the base name itself is technical and built from classical combining forms unfamiliar to most learners.

Etymology

Marginocephalian comes from parts that mean 'edge' or 'rim' (margin) and 'head' (cephal-). So it literally means 'rim-headed' and is used for dinosaurs with a bony shelf or frill at the back of the skull.