oviraptorid

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A meat-eating dinosaur with a toothless, parrot-like beak and a crest

noun
/ˌoʊvɪˈræptərɪd/

Specialized

: oviraptor

Researchers discovered a new species of oviraptorid with elaborate crests on its head.

Examples

Paleontologists believe that the oviraptorid dinosaurs may have engaged in parental care of their young.
The oviraptorid dinosaur was known for its unique toothless beak, which resembled that of a parrot.
The classification system that groups them together as oviraptorids is, after all, a human invention subject to human bias.

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Of other creatures classified as oviraptorids, at least two are generally conceded to be flightless birds.

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Surface Forms

oviraptorid singular

oviraptorids plural

Morphology

oviraptorid = oviraptor (semi-transparent) = ovi + raptor + id

Formed from the genus name 'oviraptor' plus the taxonomic suffix '-id'; clear as a scientific formation but not obvious to average learners unfamiliar with Latin combining forms or taxonomic endings.

Etymology

The word oviraptorid comes from the parts ovi- meaning 'egg' and raptor meaning 'thief', with the ending -id meaning 'member of a group'. Early scientists called them 'egg thieves' because their fossils were found near eggs, so an oviraptorid is a member of that group of toothless, crested dinosaurs often linked with eggs and brooding.