order Temnospondyli
- noun
- /ˈɔrdər ˌtɛmnoʊˈspɒndɪli/
- Specialized
- The vertebral structure of the order Temnospondyli sets them apart from other ancient amphibians.
Examples
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Scientists discovered fossils belonging to the order Temnospondyli in the Permian rock formations.
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Many members of the order Temnospondyli were aquatic or semi-aquatic predators.
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The order Temnospondyli includes many fascinating species.
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Did you know that the order Temnospondyli existed millions of years ago?
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Many members of the order Temnospondyli were aquatic or semi-aquatic predators.
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Scientists discovered fossils belonging to the order Temnospondyli in the Permian rock formations.
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The vertebral structure of the order Temnospondyli sets them apart from other ancient amphibians.
Synonyms
A group of large extinct amphibians that lived hundreds of millions of years ago and are known from fossils
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward taxonomic construction: the noun 'order' (a taxonomic rank) combined with the taxon name 'Temnospondyli' yields 'the order called Temnospondyli.' If a learner knows the constituent meanings (that 'order' denotes a biological grouping and that Temnospondyli names a group of extinct amphibians), the overall meaning is directly derivable. Such noun + taxon-name constructions are compositional and cross-linguistically common, so learners can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Order Temnospondyli comes from Greek parts temno- ('cut') and -spondyli ('back bones'), because these ancient amphibians had back bones with pieces that looked cut or not fully joined. That's why the name refers to the group of large, extinct amphibians with back bones that were not fully joined.
