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Glite Dictionary
thyreophoran

thyreophoran

9.9
A plant-eating dinosaur with body armor like stegosaurs and ankylosaurs
  • noun
  • /ˌθaɪrɪˈoʊfərən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tireóforo
  • Scientists debate how effective the armor of a thyreophoran would have been against predators.

Examples

  • The discovery of a new thyreophoran species has shed light on dinosaur evolution.

  • Among the Jurassic fauna, thyreophorans were easily identified by their protective plates and spikes.

  • The thyreophoran dinosaurs were known for their protective armor.

  • Many thyreophorans roamed the Earth during the Jurassic period.

  • Among the Jurassic fauna, thyreophorans were easily identified by their protective plates and spikes.

  • The discovery of a new thyreophoran species has shed light on dinosaur evolution.

  • Scientists debate how effective the armor of a thyreophoran would have been against predators.

Synonyms

armored dinosaur
vsthyreophoran
  • US
7.9

A dinosaur with bony plates on its body for protection

refers to a member of a scientific group rather than a mere physical description

Surface Forms

thyreophoran singular
thyreophorans plural

Morphology

thyreophoran = Thyreophora (opaque) = Thyreophora + an

The formation is a regular suffixation (‑an = member of) from the taxon name 'Thyreophora', but the taxon name itself is specialized and based on Greek combining forms that are not familiar to average learners.

Etymology

Thyreophoran comes from Greek parts thyre- meaning 'shield' and -phoran meaning 'bearer', so it literally means 'shield-bearer'. That's why the name fits dinosaurs like stegosaurs and ankylosaurs, because they had plates and armor to protect them.