This is a list of common

affix In linguistics, an affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word or word form. The main two categories are Morphological derivation, derivational and inflectional affixes. Derivational affixes, such as ''un-'', ''-ation' ...

es used when scientifically naming species, particularly extinct species for whom only their scientific names are used, along with their derivations. *a-, an-: ''Pronunciation'': /ə/, /a/, /ən/, /an/. ''Origin'': (''a, an-''). ''Meaning'': a prefix used to make words with a sense opposite to that of the root word; in this case, meaning "without" or "-less". This is usually used to describe organisms without a certain characteristic, as well as organisms in which that characteristic may not be immediately obvious. *:Examples: ''

Anurognathus ''Anurognathus'' (from the Greek ''ανоυρα γναθος'' "frog jaw") is an extinct genus of small pterosaur from the Late Jurassic Altmühltal Formation of Germany. ''Anurognathus'' was first named and described by Ludwig Döderlein in 19 ...

'' ("tailless jaw"); ''

Apus Apus is a small constellation in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere, southern sky. It represents a bird-of-paradise, and its name means "without feet" in Greek language, Greek because the bird-of-paradise was once wrongly believed to lack feet. ...

'' ("footless"); '' Apteryx'' ("wingless"); ''

Pteranodon ''Pteranodon'' (; from and ) is a genus of pterosaur that included some of the largest known flying reptiles, with ''P. longiceps'' having a wingspan of over . They lived during the late Cretaceous geological period of North America in presen ...

'' ("wings without teeth"); Anura ("tailless"); '' Anophthalmus'' ("eyeless") *-acanth, acantho-: ''Pronunciation'': /eɪkænθ/, /eɪkænθoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''ákantha''). ''Meaning'': spine. *:Examples: '' Acanthodes'' ("spiny base"); ''

Acanthostega ''Acanthostega'', from Ancient Greek ἄκανθα (''ákantha''), meaning "spine", and στέγη (''stégē''), meaning "roof", is an extinct genus of stem tetrapoda, stem-tetrapod, among the first vertebrates, vertebrate animals to have recogn ...

'' ("spine roof");

coelacanth Coelacanths ( ) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia. As sarcopterygians, they are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (the terrestrial vertebrates including living amphibians, reptiles, bi ...

("hollow spine"); ''

Acrocanthosaurus ''Acrocanthosaurus'' ( ; ) is a genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaurs that existed in what is now North America during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous, from 113 to 110 million years ago. Like most dinosaur genera, ...

'' ("high-spined lizard"); ''

Acanthoderes ''Acanthoderes'' is a genus of beetles in the family Cerambycidae, containing the following species:Bezark, Larry GA Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World. Retrieved on 22 May 2012. * '' Acanthoderes albifrons'' Chemsak & Hovore, ...

'' ("spiny neck"); ''

Acanthamoeba ''Acanthamoeba'' is a genus of amoeboid, amoebae that are commonly recovered from soil, fresh water, and other habitat (ecology), habitats. The genus ''Acanthamoeba'' has two stages in its life cycle, the metabolically active trophozoite stage a ...

'' ("spiny amoeba"); '' Metriacanthosaurus'' ("moderately-spined lizard"); '' Holacanthus'' ("full spine") * aeto-: ''Pronunciation'': /aɛto/. Origin: (''aetós''). ''Meaning'': eagle. *:Examples: '' Aetonyx'' ("eagle claw"); ''

Aetobatus ''Aetobatus'' is a genus of eagle rays native to the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was formerly placed in Myliobatidae, but is now placed in its own family Aetobatidae based on salient differences from myliobatids, especially the pecto ...

'' ("eagle ray"); ''

Aetosaur Aetosaurs () are heavily armored reptiles belonging to the extinct order (biology), order Aetosauria (; from Ancient Greek, Greek, (aetos, "eagle") and (, "lizard")). They were medium- to large-sized Omnivore, omnivorous or Herbivore, herbivor ...

ia'' ("eagle lizard") * afro-: ''Pronunciation'': /ˈafro/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': African. :Examples: '' Afrovenator'' (African hunter); ''

Afropithecus ''Afropithecus'' is a genus of Miocene hominoid with the sole species ''Afropithecus turkanensis'', it was excavated from a small site near Lake Turkana called Kalodirr in northern Kenya in 1986 and named by Richard Leakey and Meave Leakey. ...

'' (African ape);

Afrotheria Afrotheria ( from Latin ''Afro-'' "of Africa" + ''theria'' "wild beast") is a superorder of placental mammals, the living members of which belong to groups that are either currently living in Africa or of African origin: golden moles, elephan ...

(African beasts) * -ales: ''Pronunciation'': /ˈa.lis/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': Used to form taxonomic names of orders. :Examples:

Enterobacterales Enterobacterales is an order of Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-negative, non-spore forming, Facultative anaerobic organism, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria with the class Gammaproteobacteria. The type genus of this order is ''Enterob ...

("Order of Intestinal Bacteria"); Nitrosomonadiales ("Nitrogen fixing bacteria order"); Chromatiales ("Purple Sulfur Fixing Bacteria Order") *amphi-: ''Pronunciation'': /amfiː/, /amfɪ/. ''Origin'': (''amphí''). ''Meaning'': both. *:Examples:

Amphibia Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all tetrapods, but excluding the amniotes (tetrapods with an amniotic ...

("two types of life"); ''

Amphicoelias ''Amphicoelias'' (, meaning "biconcave", from the Greek ἀμφί, ''amphi'': "on both sides", and κοῖλος, ''koilos'': "hollow, concave") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived approximately 150 million years ago during t ...

'' ("hollow at both ends"); ''

Amphicyon ''Amphicyon'' is an extinct genus of large carnivorans belonging to the family Amphicyonidae (known colloquially as "bear-dogs"), subfamily Amphicyoninae, from the Miocene epoch. Members of this family received their vernacular name for possessin ...

'' ("ambiguous dog") *-anthus, antho-: ''Pronunciation'': /anθəs/, /anθoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''ánthos''). ''Meaning'': flower. *:Examples: ''

Helianthus ''Helianthus'' () is a genus comprising around 70 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae commonly known as sunflowers. Except for three South American species, the species of ''Helianthus'' are native to ...

'' ("sunflower");

Anthophila ''Anthophila'', from Ancient Greek ἄνθος (''ánthos''), meaning "flower", and φίλος (''phílos''), meaning "loving", is a genus of moths in the family Choreutidae. Species *''Anthophila abhasica'' Danilevsky, 1969 *''Anthophila alp ...

("flower-loving"); ''

Dianthus ''Dianthus'' ( ) is a genus of about 340 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species in north Africa and in southern Africa, and one species (''D. repens'') in arctic North Am ...

'' ("Zeus flower"/"godly flower") *arch-, archi-, archo-, -archon, -archus: ''Pronunciation'': /ark/, /arkoʊ/, /arkɪ/, /arkɒn/, /arkəs/. ''Origin'': (''arkhós''), ''meaning'': ruler; ἀρχικός (''arkhikós''), ''meaning'': ruling. Used for exceptionally large or widespread animals. *:Examples: ''

Archelon ''Archelon'' is an extinct marine turtle from the Late Cretaceous, and is the largest turtle ever to have been documented, with the biggest specimen measuring from head to tail and in body mass. It is known only from the Pierre Shale and ...

'' ("ruling turtle"); '' Architeuthis'' ("ruling squid"); ''

Thalattoarchon ''Thalattoarchon'' is a genus of large, Middle Triassic predatory ichthyosaur from North America, containing the single species ''T. saurophagis''. The taxon was described in 2013 from a single specimen discovered in the Favret Formation in Nev ...

'' ("sea ruler"); ''

Archosaur Archosauria () or archosaurs () is a clade of diapsid sauropsid tetrapods, with birds and crocodilians being the only extant taxon, extant representatives. Although broadly classified as reptiles, which traditionally exclude birds, the cladistics ...

'' ("ruling lizard"); ''

Andrewsarchus ''Andrewsarchus'' (), meaning "Roy Chapman Andrews, Andrews' ruler", is an extinct genus of artiodactyl that lived during the Eocene, Middle Eocene in what is now China. The genus was species description, first described by Henry Fairfield Osb ...

'' ("ruler of

Andrews Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana *Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina *Andrews, Oregon *Andrews, South ...

") *archaeo-: ''Pronunciation'': /arkiːɒ/, /arkiːoʊ/ . ''Origin'': (''arkhaîos''). ''Meaning'': ancient. Used for early versions of animals and plants. *:Examples: ''

Archaeopteryx ''Archaeopteryx'' (; ), sometimes referred to by its German name, "" ( ''Primeval Bird'') is a genus of bird-like dinosaurs. The name derives from the ancient Greek (''archaîos''), meaning "ancient", and (''ptéryx''), meaning "feather" ...

'' ("ancient wing"); ''

Archaeoindris ''Archaeoindris fontoynontii'' is an Subfossil lemur, extinct giant lemur and the largest primate known to have evolved on Madagascar, comparable in size to a male gorilla. It belonged to a Family (biology), family of extinct lemurs known as "sl ...

'' ("ancient

Indri The indri (; ''Indri indri''), also called the babakoto, is one of the largest living lemurs, with a head-body length of about and a weight of between . It has a black and white coat and maintains an upright posture when climbing or clinging. ...

"); ''

Archaeopteris ''Archaeopteris'' is an extinct genus of progymnosperm tree with fern-like leaves. A useful List of index fossils, index fossil, this tree is found in Stratum, strata dating from the Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous (), the oldest fossils b ...

'' ("ancient fern"); '' Archaeanthus'' ("ancient flower") *-arctos, arcto-: ''Pronunciation'': /arktoʊz/, /arktoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''árktos''). ''Meaning'': bear. *:Examples: '' Phascolarctos'' ("pouch bear"); ''

Arctodus ''Arctodus'' is an extinct genus of short-faced bear that inhabited North America during the Pleistocene (~2.6 Year#mya, Mya until 12,800 years ago). There are two recognized species: the lesser short-faced bear (''Arctodus pristinus'') and the gia ...

'' ("bear tooth"); '' Arctocyon'' ("bear dog") *arthro-: /arθroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''árthron''). ''Meaning'': joint. Often used for animals with exoskeletons. *:Examples: ''

Arthrospira ''Arthrospira'' and ''Limnospira'' are two genera of free-floating filamentous cyanobacteria characterized by cylindrical, multicellular trichomes in an open left-hand helix. A dietary supplement is made from ''L. platensis'' and ''L. maxima' ...

'' ("jointed coil"); ''

Arthropleura ''Arthropleura'', from Ancient Greek ἄρθρον (''árthron''), meaning "joint", and πλευρά (''pleurá''), meaning "rib", is an extinct genus of massive myriapoda, myriapod that lived in what is now Europe and North America around 344 t ...

'' ("jointed rib");

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

("jointed foot") *aspido-, -aspis: ''Pronunciation'': /aspɪdoʊ/, /aspɪs/. ''Origin'': (''aspís''). ''Meaning'': shield. The suffix "-aspis" is used to describe armored fish. *:Examples: ''

Aspidochelone According to the tradition of the ''Physiologus'' and medieval bestiary, bestiaries, the aspidochelone is a fabled sea creature, variously described as a large whale or vast sea turtle, and a giant sea monster with huge spines on the ridge of its ...

'' ("shield turtle"); '' Cephalaspis'' ("head shield"); '' Sacabambaspis'' ("shield from Sacabamba"); ''

Brindabellaspis ''Brindabellaspis stensioi'' ("Erik Stensiö's Brindabella Ranges Shield") is a placoderm with a flat, platypus-like snout from the Early Devonian of the Taemas-Wee Jasper reef in Australia. When it was first discovered in 1980, it was originall ...

'' ("shield from the

Brindabella Ranges The Brindabella Range, commonly called The Brindabellas or The Brindies, is a mountain range located in Australia, on a state and territory border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The range rises to the west of C ...

") *-avus: ''Pronunciation'': /avus/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': grandfather. *:Examples: '' Coelurosauravus'' (" hollow lizard grandfather"); '' Plateosauravus'' ("grandfather of

Plateosaurus ''Plateosaurus'' (probably meaning "broad lizard", often mistranslated as "flat lizard") is a genus of plateosaurid dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic period, around 214 to 204 million years ago, in what is now Central and Northern Eu ...

") *-avis: ''Pronunciation'': /əvɪs/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': bird. *:Examples: '' Protoavis'' ("first bird"); ''

Argentavis ''Argentavis'' is an extinct genus of teratornithid known from three sites in the Epecuén and Andalhualá Formations in central and northwestern Argentina dating to the Late Miocene (Huayquerian). The type species, ''A. magnificens'', is some ...

'' ("bird from

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

"); '' Eoalulavis'' ("little-winged dawn bird") *-bates: ''Pronunciation'': /bætiz/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': wanderer, one that treads. *:Examples: ''

Hylobates The genus ''Hylobates'' is one of the four genera of gibbons. Its name means "forest walker", from the Greek (, "forest") and (, "one who treads"). It was once considered the only genus, but recently its subgenera (''Hoolock'' ormerly ''Bun ...

'' ("forest wanderer"); '' Dendrobates'' ("tree wanderer") *brachi-, brachy-: ''pronunciation'': /brækɪ/. ''Origin'': (''brakhús, brakhíōn''). ''Meaning'': short, and the short part of the arm, or upper arm, respectively. Used in its original meaning, and also to mean "arm". *:Examples: ''

Brachylophosaurus ''Brachylophosaurus'' ( or ) is a genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period of western North America. It was first named in 1953 by Charles Mortram Sternberg for a skull and skeleton he discovered in 1936 in th ...

'' ("short-crested lizard"); ''

Brachiosaurus ''Brachiosaurus'' () is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic, about . It was first Species description, described by American paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs in 1903 in paleontology, 1903 from fossi ...

'' ("arm lizard"); '' Brachyceratops'' ("short-horned face") *bronto-: ''Pronunciation'': /brɒntoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''brontḗ''). ''Meaning'': thunder. Used for large animals. *:Examples: ''

Brontosaurus ''Brontosaurus'' (; meaning "thunder lizard" from the Ancient Greek, Greek words , "thunder" and , "lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in present-day United States during the Late Jurassic period. It was describe ...

'' ("thunder lizard"), '' Brontotherium'' ("thunder beast"), '' Brontoscorpio'' ("thunder scorpion"); '' Brontochelys'' ("thunder turtle") *-canth, cantho-: see -acanth, acantho-. *carcharo-: ''Pronunciation'': /kərkæro/. ''Origin'': (''kárkharos''). ''Meaning'': sharp, jagged; extended via (''karkharías'') to mean "shark". *:Examples: '' Carcharodon'' ("jagged tooth"), ''

Carcharocles ''Otodus'' is an extinct, cosmopolitan genus of mackerel shark which lived from the Paleocene to the Pliocene epoch. The name ''Otodus'' comes from Ancient Greek (, meaning "ear") and (, meaning "tooth") – thus, "ear-shaped tooth". Descript ...

'' ("glorious shark"), '' Carcharodontosaurus'' ("shark toothed lizard") *-cephalus, cephalo-, -cephale, -cephalian: ''Pronunciation'': /sɛfələs/, /sɛfəloʊ̯/, /sɛfəli:/ /sɛfeɪliːən/. ''Origin'': (''kephalḗ''). ''Meaning'': head. *:Examples: '' Sclerocephalus'' ("hard head"); ''

Euoplocephalus ''Euoplocephalus'' ( ) is a genus of large herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaurs, living during the Late Cretaceous of Canada. It has only one named species, ''Euoplocephalus tutus''. The first fossil of ''Euoplocephalus'' was found in 1897 in Albe ...

'' ("well-armored head"), ''

Pachycephalosaurus ''Pachycephalosaurus'' (; meaning "thick-headed lizard", from Greek ''pachys-/'' "thickness", ''kephalon/'' "head" and ''sauros/'' "lizard") is a genus of pachycephalosaurid ornithischian dinosaur. The type species, ''P. wyomingensis'', ...

'' ("thick headed lizard"), '' Amtocephale'' ("head from Amtgai"); '' Therocephalian'' ("beast-headed"); ''

Cephalocarida The Cephalocarida, from Ancient Greek κεφαλή (''kephalḗ''), meaning "head", and καρίς (''karís''), meaning "shrimp", are a class in the subphylum Crustacea comprising only 12 species. Both the nauplii and the adults are benthic. ...

'' ("head shrimp") *-ceras, cerat-, -ceratus: ''Pronunciation'': /sɛrəs/, /sɛrət/, /sɛrətəs/. ''Origin'': (''kéras''). ''Meaning'': horn. Used for many horned animals, but most notably

ceratopsians Ceratopsia or Ceratopia ( or ; Greek: "horned faces") is a group of herbivorous, beaked dinosaurs that thrived in what are now North America, Asia and Europe, during the Cretaceous Period, although ancestral forms lived earlier, in the Late Jura ...

. *:Examples: ''

Stegoceras ''Stegoceras'' is a genus of Pachycephalosauria, pachycephalosaurid (dome-headed) dinosaur that lived in what is now North America during the Late Cretaceous Period (geology), period, about 77.5 to 74 million years ago (mya). The first specim ...

'' ("roof horn"); ''

Triceratops ''Triceratops'' ( ; ) is a genus of Chasmosaurinae, chasmosaurine Ceratopsia, ceratopsian dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous Period (geology), period, about 68 to 66 million years ago on the island ...

'' ("three-horned face"), ''

Orthoceras ''Orthoceras'', from Ancient Greek ὀρθός (''orthós''), meaning "straight", and κέρας (''kéras''), meaning "horn", is a genus of extinct nautiloid cephalopod restricted to Middle Ordovician-aged marine limestones of the Baltic Sta ...

'' ("straight horn"); '' Megaloceras'' ("big horn"); ''

Ceratosaurus ''Ceratosaurus'' (from Greek 'horn' and 'lizard') is a genus of carnivorous theropod dinosaur that lived in the Late Jurassic period (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian ages). The genus was first described in 1884 by American paleontologist Othni ...

'' ("horned lizard"); '' Microceratops'' ("small horned face");

rhinoceros A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

("nose horn"); '' Albertoceras'' ("horn from

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

"); '' Aepyceros'' ("high horn"); '' Lophoceros'' ("crest horn"); '' Buceros'' ("ox horn");

Dinocerata Dinocerata, from Ancient Greek (), "terrible", and (), "horn", or Uintatheria, is an extinct order of large herbivorous hoofed mammals with horns and protuberant canine teeth, known from the Paleocene and Eocene of Asia and North America. With ...

("terrible horn") *cetio-, -cetus: ''Pronunciation'': /sɛtɪoʊ/, /siːtəs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek κῆτος (''kētos''). ''Meaning'': sea-monster. The suffix "-cetus" is used for whales or whale ancestors, while the prefix "cetio-" is used for whale-like or large animals. *:Examples: '' Peregocetus'' ("travelling whale"); ''

Cetiosaurus ''Cetiosaurus'' ( meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek '/ meaning 'sea monster' (later, 'whale') and '/ meaning 'lizard'), is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Period, living about 171 to 165 million years ago ...

'' ("whale lizard"); ''

Ambulocetus ''Ambulocetus'' (Latin ''ambulare'' "to walk" + ''cetus'' "whale") is a genus of early Semiaquatic, amphibious cetacean from the Kuldana Formation in Pakistan, roughly 48 or 47 million years ago during the Early Eocene (Lutetian). It contains o ...

'' ("walking whale"); ''

Pakicetus ''Pakicetus'' (meaning 'whale from Pakistan') is an extinct genus of amphibious cetacean of the family Pakicetidae, which was endemic to the Indian Subcontinent during the Ypresian (early Eocene) period, about 50 million years ago. It was a w ...

'' ("whale from

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

"), "

Perucetus ''Perucetus'' is an extinct genus of an early whale from Peru that lived during the Bartonian age of the middle Eocene. ''Perucetus'' is the largest Eocene whale, with length estimates varying from to . It was initially claimed to have rivaled ...

" ("whale from Peru") *-cheirus: ''Pronunciation'': /kaɪrəs/. ''Origin'': (''kheír''). ''Meaning'': hand. *:Examples: ''

Deinocheirus ''Deinocheirus'' ( ) is a genus of large ornithomimosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous around 70 million years ago. In 1965, a pair of large arms, shoulder girdles, and a few other bones of a new dinosaur were first discovered in the ...

'' ("terrible hand"); ''

Ornithocheirus ''Ornithocheirus'' (from Ancient Greek "ὄρνις", meaning bird, and "χεῖρ", meaning hand) is a pterosaur genus known from fragmentary fossil remains uncovered from sediments in the United Kingdom and possibly Morocco. Several species ha ...

'' ("bird hand"); ''

Austrocheirus ''Austrocheirus'' is an extinct genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. It was named and described by Martin Ezcurra, Federico Agnolin and Fernando Novas in 2010 in paleontology, 2010. It contains the type species ...

'' ("southern hand"); ''

Haplocheirus ''Haplocheirus'' (, meaning "simple hand") is an extinct genus of theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Shishugou Formation of Xinjiang in China. It is generally considered to be an alvarezsauroid, although some researchers have questione ...

'' ("simple hand");

Chiroptera Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

("hand wing") *chloro-: ''Pronunciation'': /kloroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''khlōrós''). ''Meaning'': green. *:Examples:

Chlorophyta Chlorophyta is a division of green algae informally called chlorophytes. Description Chlorophytes are eukaryotic organisms composed of cells with a variety of coverings or walls, and usually a single green chloroplast in each cell. They are ...

("green plant");

Chlorophyll Chlorophyll is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words (, "pale green") and (, "leaf"). Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb energy ...

("green leaf") *choer-, choero-: ''Pronunciation'': /koɪr/, /koɪroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''koíros''). ''Meaning'': pig. *:Examples: '' Choeroichthys'' ("pig-fish"); '' Choerophryne'' ("frog pig"); '' Choerodon'' ("pig tooth"); ''

Hydrochoerus The genus ''Hydrochoerus'' contains two living and three extinct species of rodents from South America, the Caribbean island of Grenada, California and Panama. Capybaras are the largest living rodents in the world. The genus name is derived from ...

'' ("water pig") *coel-: ''Pronunciation'': /siːl/ or /sɛl/ . ''Origin'': (''koîlos''). ''Meaning'': hollow. *:Examples:

("hollow spine"); ''

Coelodonta ''Coelodonta'' (, from the Ancient Greek κοῖλος (''koîlos''), meaning "hollow", and οδούς (''odoús''), meaning "tooth", in reference to the deep grooves of their molar (tooth), molars) is an extinct genus of Eurasian rhinoceroses th ...

'' ("hollow tooth"); ''

Coelophysis ''Coelophysis'' ( Traditional English pronunciation of Latin, traditionally; or , as heard more commonly in recent decades) is a genus of coelophysid Theropoda, theropod dinosaur that lived Approximation, approximately 215 to 201.4 million y ...

'' ("hollow form"); ''

'' ("hollow at both ends") *cyan-, cyano-: ''Pronunciation'': /saɪæno/. ''Origin'': (''kuáneos''). ''Meaning'': dark blue, blue, dark blue-green. *:Examples: ''

Cyanocitta ''Cyanocitta'' is a genus of birds in the family Corvidae, a family which contains the crows, jays and magpies. The genus includes two crested jays with blue plumage and a distinctive feather crest. Found only in temperate North America, the Ro ...

'' ("blue jay");

Cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

("blue bacteria"); ''

Cyanocorax __NOTOC__ ''Cyanocorax'' is a genus of New World jays, passerine birds in the family Corvidae. It contains several closely related species that primarily are found in wooded habitats, chiefly in lowland tropical rainforest but in some cases also ...

'' ("blue raven") *cyclo-: ''Pronunciation'': /saɪkloʊ/ (or /saɪklɒ/). ''Origin'': (''kúklos''). ''Meaning'': circle. *:Examples: '' Cyclomedusa'' ("circle

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...

");

Cyclostomata Cyclostomi, often referred to as Cyclostomata , from Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos), meaning "circle", and στόμα (stóma), meaning "mouth", is a superclass of vertebrates that comprises the living jawless fish classes: the lamp ...

("circle mouth") *cyn-, -cyon: ''Pronunciation'': /saɪn/, /saɪɒn/. ''Origin'': (''kúon''). ''Meaning'': dog. Used for dogs or dog-like creatures. *:Examples:

Cynodont Cynodontia () is a clade of eutheriodont therapsids that first appeared in the Late Permian (approximately 260 Megaannum, mya), and extensively diversified after the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Mammals are cynodonts, as are their extin ...

("dog tooth"); ''

Cynognathus ''Cynognathus'' is an extinct genus of large-bodied cynodontian therapsids that lived in the Middle Triassic. It is known from a single species, ''Cynognathus crateronotus''. ''Cynognathus'' was a predator closely related to mammals and had a s ...

'' ("dog jaw"); '' Cynopterus'' ("dog wing"); '' Arctocyon'' ("bear dog"); ''

Procyonidae Procyonidae ( ) is a New World family of the order Carnivora. It includes the raccoons, ringtails, cacomistles, coatis, kinkajous, olingos, and olinguitos. Procyonids inhabit a wide range of environments and are generally omnivorous. Ch ...

'' ("before the dog"); '' Cynocephalus'' ("dog head") *-dactyl, -dactylus: ''Pronunciation'': /dæktəl/, /dæktələs/. ''Origin'': (''dáktulos''). ''Meaning'': finger, toe. *:Examples:

artiodactyl Artiodactyls are placental mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla ( , ). Typically, they are ungulates which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes (the third and fourth, often in the form of a hoof). The other t ...

("even toe"); ''

Pterodactylus ''Pterodactylus'' (from ) is a genus of extinct pterosaurs. It is thought to contain only a single species, ''Pterodactylus antiquus'', which was the first pterosaur to be named and identified as a flying reptile and one of the first prehis ...

'' ("wing finger");

perissodactyl Perissodactyla (, ), or odd-toed ungulates, is an order of Ungulate, ungulates. The order includes about 17 living species divided into three Family (biology), families: Equidae (wild horse, horses, Asinus, asses, and zebras), Rhinocerotidae ( ...

("uneven toe"); '' Ctenodactylus'' ("comb finger") * -deres: ''Origin'': (''dére''). ''Meaning'': neck, collar. *:Examples: ''

'' ("spiny neck") *-derm: ''Pronunciation'': /dɜrm/. ''Origin'': (''dérma''). ''Meaning'': animal hide. Used for skin. *:Examples:

placoderm Placoderms (from Ancient Greek πλάξ 'plax'', ''plakos'''Plate (animal anatomy), plate' and δέρμα 'derma'''skin') are vertebrate animals of the class (biology), class Placodermi, an extinct group of prehistoric fish known from Pal ...

("plated skin");

echinoderm An echinoderm () is any animal of the phylum Echinodermata (), which includes starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers, as well as the sessile sea lilies or "stone lilies". While bilaterally symmetrical as ...

("hedgehog skin");

ostracoderm Ostracodermi () or ostracoderms is an informal group of vertebrate animals that include all armored jawless fish of the Paleozoic Era. The term does not often appear in classifications today because it is paraphyletic (excluding jawed fishes and ...

("shell skin") *-delphys, -delphis, delpho-: ''Pronunciation'': /dɜlfɪs/, /dɜlfʊ/. ''Origin'': ('' delphis''). ''Meaning'': womb. Used for

theria Theria ( or ; ) is a scientific classification, subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the Placentalia, placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-lay ...

n mammals. *:Examples: ''

Sinodelphys ''Sinodelphys'' is an extinct mammal from the Early Cretaceous, estimated to be 125 million years old. It was discovered and described in 2003 in rocks of the Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province, China, by a team of scientists including Zhe-X ...

'' ("Chinese womb"); ''

Didelphis ''Didelphis'' is a genus of New World marsupials. The six species in the genus ''Didelphis'', commonly known as Large American opossums, are members of the ''opossum'' order (biology), order, Didelphimorphia. The genus ''Didelphis'' is composed ...

'' ("two wombs"); '' Didelphodon'' ("two-womb e opossum">opossum.html" ;"title="e opossum">e opossumtooth"); ''Delphinus (genus)">Delphinius'' ("with a womb") *dendro-, -dendron, -dendrum: ''Pronunciation'': /dɛn.dɹoʊ/, /ˈdɛndɹən/, /dɛndɹəm/. ''Origin'': (''déndron''). ''Meaning'': tree. *:Examples: ''

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...

'' ("rose tree"); ''Liriodendron'' ("lily tree"); ''Dendrocnide'' ("tree nettle"); ''Epidendrum'' ("above tree"); ''

Lepidodendron ''Lepidodendron'' is an extinct genus of primitive lycopodian vascular plants belonging the order Lepidodendrales. It is well preserved and common in the fossil record. Like other Lepidodendrales, species of ''Lepidodendron'' grew as large-tree ...

'' ("scaled tree") *di-: ''Pronunciation'': /daɪ/. ''Origin'': (''dís''). ''Meaning'': twice. Used to indicate two of something. *:Examples: ''

Dilophosaurus ''Dilophosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaurs that lived in what is now North America during the Early Jurassic, about 186 million years ago. Three skeletons were discovered in northern Arizona in 1940, and the two best preserv ...

'' ("two crested lizard"); '' Diceratops'' ("two-horned face");

diapsid Diapsids ("two arches") are a clade of sauropsids, distinguished from more primitive eureptiles by the presence of two holes, known as temporal fenestrae, in each side of their skulls. The earliest traditionally identified diapsids, the araeosc ...

("two arches") *dino-, deino-: Pronunciation: /daɪnoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''deinós''). ''Meaning'': "terrible", "formidable". Used for presumably fearfully large or dangerous animals or animal parts. *:Examples:

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

("terrible lizard"), ''

Dinofelis ''Dinofelis'' is an extinct genus of machairodontine (sabre-toothed cat), usually classified in the tribe Metailurini. It was widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America from 5 million to about 1.2 million years ago (early Pliocene to ...

'' ("terrible cat"), '' Dinornis'' ("terrible bird"); ''

Deinonychus ''Deinonychus'' ( ; ) is a genus of Dromaeosauridae, dromaeosaurid Theropoda, theropod dinosaur with one described species, ''Deinonychus antirrhopus''. This species, which could grow up to long, lived during the early Cretaceous Period (ge ...

'' ("terrible claw"), ''

'' ("terrible hand"); '' Dinodocus'' ("terrible beam"); ''

Deinosuchus ''Deinosuchus'' is an extinct genus of eusuchian, either an Alligatoroidea, alligatoroid Crocodilia, crocodilian or a stem-group crocodilian, which lived during the Late Cretaceous around . The first remains were discovered in North Carolina ...

'' ("terrible crocodile"), ''

Dinohippus ''Dinohippus'' ( Greek: "Terrible horse") is an extinct equid which was endemic to North America from the late Hemphillian stage of the Miocene through the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene (10.3—3.6 mya) and in existence for approximately . Foss ...

'' ("terrible horse"), '' Dinosorex'' ("terrible shrew"); '' Deinococcus'' ("terrible grannule");

("terrible horn") * diplo-: ''Pronunciation'': /dɪploʊ/, /dɪplo/. ''Origin'': (''diplóos'', ''diploûs''). ''Meaning'': double. *:Examples: ''

Diplodocus ''Diplodocus'' (, , or ) is an extinct genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs known from the Late Jurassic of North America. The first fossils of ''Diplodocus'' were discovered in 1877 by S. W. Williston. The generic name, coined by Othnie ...

'' ("double beam");

Diplopoda Millipedes (originating from the Latin , "thousand", and , "foot") are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derive ...

("double feet");

Diplomonad The diplomonads (Greek for "two units") are a group of flagellates, most of which are parasitic. They include ''Giardia duodenalis'', which causes giardiasis in humans. They are placed among the metamonads, and appear to be particularly close ...

("double unit"); '' Diplovertebron'' ("double vertebra") *-don, -'', -''donto-: see -odon, -odont, -odonto-. *draco-, -draco: ''Pronunciation'': /dreɪkoʊ/ Origin: Latin ''draco''. Meaning: dragon. *:Examples: ''

Dracophyllum ''Dracophyllum'' is a genus of plants belonging to the family Ericaceae, formerly Epacridaceae. There are 61 species in the genus, mostly shrubs, but also cushion plants and trees, found in New Zealand, Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caledon ...

'' ("dragon race"); ''

Dracocephalum ''Dracocephalum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. These flowers, collectively called dragonhead, are annual plant, annual or perennial plant, perennial herbaceous p ...

'' ("dragon head"); '' Dracaena'' ("female dragon"), ''

Tethydraco ''Tethydraco'' is a genus of pterodactyloid pterosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period (Maastrichtian stage) of what is now the area of present Morocco, about 66 million years ago. ''Tethydraco'' was originally assigned to the family ...

'' (" Tethys dragon"), '' Phosphatodraco'' ("phosphates dragon"). *dromaeo-, dromeo-, -dromeus: ''Pronunciation'': /droʊmɪoʊ/, /droʊmɪəs/ ''Origin'': (''dromaîos''). Meaning: runner. *:Examples: ''

Dromaeosaurus ''Dromaeosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of Dromaeosauridae, dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period (middle late Campanian and Maastrichtian), sometime between 80 and 69 million years ago, in Alberta, Canada and th ...

'' ("running lizard"); ''

Kulindadromeus ''Kulindadromeus'' is a genus of basal neornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Middle Jurassic. The first ''Kulindadromeus'' fossil was found in Russia. Its feather-like integument is evidence for protofeathers being basal to Ornithisch ...

'' ("runner from Kulinda"); ''

Thalassodromeus ''Thalassodromeus'' is a genus of pterosaur that lived in what is now Brazil during the Early Cretaceous Period (geology), period, about a hundred million years ago. The original skull, discovered in 1983 in the Araripe Basin of northeastern B ...

'' ("sea runner"); ''

Eodromaeus ''Eodromaeus'' (meaning "dawn runner") is an extinct genus of probable basal (phylogenetics), basal theropod dinosaurs from the Late Triassic of Argentina. Like many other of the earliest-known dinosaurs, it hails from the Carnian-age (~230 Ma) I ...

'' ("dawn runner") *elasmo-: ''Pronunciation'': /əl:æzːmoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''elasmos''). ''Meaning'': plate. *:Examples: ''

elasmobranch Elasmobranchii () is a subclass of Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fish, including modern sharks ( division Selachii), and batomorphs (division Batomorphi, including rays, skates, and sawfish). Members of this subclass are characterised by h ...

'' ("plated gill"); ''

Elasmosaurus ''Elasmosaurus'' () is a genus of plesiosaur that lived in North America during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, at about 80.6 to 77million years ago. The first specimen was discovered in 1867 near Fort Wallace, Kansas, US, and ...

'' ("plated lizard"); ''

Elasmotherium ''Elasmotherium'' is an extinct genus of large rhinoceros that lived in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and East Asia during Late Miocene through to the Late Pleistocene, with the youngest reliable dates of at least 39,000 years ago. It was ...

'' ("plated beast") *eo-: ''Pronunciation'': /iːoʊ̯/. ''Origin'': (''ēṓs''). ''Meaning'': dawn. Used for very early appearances of animals in the fossil record. *:Examples: ''

Eohippus ''Eohippus'' is an extinct genus of small equid ungulates. The only species is ''E. angustidens'', which was long considered a species of ''Hyracotherium'' (now strictly defined as a member of the Palaeotheriidae rather than the Equidae). Its rem ...

'' ("dawn horse"); ''

Eomaia ''Eomaia'' ("dawn mother") is a genus of extinct fossil mammals containing the single species ''Eomaia scansoria'', discovered in rocks that were found in the Yixian Formation, Liaoning Province, China, and dated to the Barremian Age of the Lower ...

'' ("dawn Maia"); ''

Eoraptor ''Eoraptor'' () is a genus of small, lightly built, Basal (phylogenetics), basal sauropodomorpha, sauropodomorph dinosaur. One of the earliest-known dinosaurs and one of the earliest sauropodomorphs, it lived approximately 231 to 228 million yea ...

'' ("dawn thief") *-erpeton: ''Pronunciation'': /ɜrpətɒn/. ''Origin'': (''herpetón''). ''Meaning'': reptile (literally, "creeping thing"); used for

amphibians Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

. *:Examples: ''

Hynerpeton ''Hynerpeton'' ( ) is an extinct genus of early four-limbed vertebrate that lived in the rivers and ponds of Pennsylvania during the Late Devonian period, around 365 to 363 million years ago. The only known species of ''Hynerpeton'' is ''H. basse ...

'' ("creeper from Hyner"); ''

Greererpeton ''Greererpeton burkemorani'' ("crawler from Greer, West Virginia") is an extinct genus of colosteid stem-tetrapods from the Early Carboniferous period (late Viséan) of North America. ''Greererpeton'' was first described by famed vertebrate pal ...

'' ("creeper from Greer"); '' Arizonerpeton'' ("creeper from

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

"); ''

Albanerpeton ''Albanerpeton'' is an extinct genus of salamander-like Albanerpetontidae, albanerpetontid amphibian found in North America, Europe and Asia first appearing in Cretaceous-aged strata. There are eight described members of the genus, and one undiag ...

'' ("creeper of La Grive Saint Alban") *eu-: ''Pronunciation'': /iːu̟/. ''Origin'': (''eû''). ''Meaning'': "good", "well"; also extended via

Neo-Latin Neo-LatinSidwell, Keith ''Classical Latin-Medieval Latin-Neo Latin'' in ; others, throughout. (also known as New Latin and Modern Latin) is the style of written Latin used in original literary, scholarly, and scientific works, first in Italy d ...

to mean "true". Used in a variety of ways, often to indicate well-preserved specimens, well-developed bones, "truer" examples of fossil forms, or simply admiration on the part of the discoverer. *:Examples: ''

Euparkeria ''Euparkeria'' (; meaning "Parker's good animal", named in honor of W. K. Parker) is an Extinction, extinct genus of archosauriform reptile from the Triassic of South Africa. ''Euparkeria'' is close to the ancestry of Archosauria, the reptile gro ...

'' ("good one of

Parker's The Smith's Snackfood Company is a British-Australian snack food brand owned by the American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation PepsiCo. It is best known for its brand of potato chip, potato crisps. The company was founded by F ...

"); ''

Euhelopus ''Euhelopus'' is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived between 145 and 133 million years ago during the Berriasian and Valanginian ages of the Early Cretaceous in what is now Shandong Province in China. It was a large quadrupedal herbivore. Lik ...

'' ("good marsh foot"); '' Eustreptospondylus'' ("well-curved vertebrae"); ''

Eucoelophysis ''Eucoelophysis'' (meaning "true hollow form") is a genus of silesaurid dinosauriform from the Late Triassic (Norian) period Chinle Formation of New Mexico. It was assumed to be a coelophysid upon description, but a study by Nesbitt ''et al ...

'' ("truly hollow form") *-felis: ''Pronunciation'': /fiːlɪs/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': cat. "''

Felis ''Felis'' is a genus of small and medium-sized cat species native to most of Africa and south of 60° latitude in Europe and Asia to Indochina. The genus includes the domestic cat. The smallest of the seven ''Felis'' species is the black-footed ...

''" alone is the genus name for the group that includes the

domestic cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small Domestication, domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have sh ...

. *:Examples: ''

'' ("terrible cat"); '' Eofelis'' ("dawn cat"); '' Pardofelis'' ("leopard cat") *-form, -formes: ''Pronunciation'': /foʊrm/, /foʊrms/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': shape, form. Used for large groups of animals that share similar characteristics; also used in names of bird and fish orders. *:Examples:

Galliformes Galliformes is an order (biology), order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkey (bird), turkeys, chickens, Old World quail, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems ...

("chicken form");

Anseriformes Anseriformes is an order (biology), order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest f ...

("goose form");

Squaliformes The Squaliformes are an order of sharks that includes about 126 species in seven families. Members of the order have two dorsal fins, which usually possess spines, they usually have a sharp head, no anal fin or nictitating membrane, and fi ...

("shark form") *giga-, gigant-, giganto-: ''Pronunciation'': /gi:gə/, /d͡ʒaɪgænt/, /d͡ʒaɪgæntoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''gígas, gigantos''). ''Meaning'': giant, of a giant, respectively. Used for large species. *:Examples: ''

Giganotosaurus ''Giganotosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Argentina, during the early Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous period (geology), period, approximately 99.6 to 95 million years ago. The holotype specim ...

'' ("giant southern lizard"); ''

Gigantopithecus ''Gigantopithecus'' ( ) is an extinct genus of ape that lived in southern China from 2 million to approximately 300,000–200,000 years ago during the Early Pleistocene, Early to Middle Pleistocene, represented by one species, ''Gigantopithecus ...

'' ("giant ape"); ''

Gigantoraptor ''Gigantoraptor'' () is a genus of large oviraptorosaur dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period. It is known from the Iren Dabasu Formation of Inner Mongolia, where the first remains were found in 2005. ''Gigantoraptor'' w ...

'' ("giant seizer"); '' Gigantopterus'' ("giant fin"); '' Gigantspinosaurus'' ("giant-spined lizard") *-gnath-, gnatho-, -gnathus: ''Pronunciation'': /neɪθ/, /neɪθoʊ/, /neɪθəs/ (or /gneɪθəs/). ''Origin'': (''gnáthos''). ''Meaning'': jaw. *:Examples: '' Caenagnathasia'' ("recent jaw from Asia"); '' Gnathostoma'' ("jaw mouth"); ''

'' ("dog jaw"); ''

Compsognathus ''Compsognathus'' (; Ancient Greek, Greek ''kompsos''/κομψός; "elegant", "refined" or "dainty", and ''gnathos''/γνάθος; "jaw") is a genus of small, bipedalism, bipedal, carnivore, carnivorous theropoda, theropod dinosaur. Members o ...

'' ("elegant jaw"); ''

Gnathosaurus ''Gnathosaurus'' (meaning "jawed lizard") is a genus of ctenochasmatid pterosaur containing two species: ''G. subulatus'', named in 1833 from the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany, and ''G. macrurus'', known from the Purbeck Limestone of the UK. ...

'' ("jaw lizard");

Gnathostomata Gnathostomata (; from Ancient Greek: (') 'jaw' + (') 'mouth') are jawed vertebrates. Gnathostome diversity comprises roughly 60,000 species, which accounts for 99% of all extant vertebrates, including all living bony fishes (both ray-finned ...

("jaw mouth");

Entognatha The Entognatha, from Ancient Greek ἐντός (''entós''), meaning "inside", and γνάθος (''gnáthos''), meaning "jaw", are a class (biology), class of wingless and Ametabolism, ametabolous arthropods, which, together with the insects, ...

("inner jaw") *haplo-: ''Pronunciation'': /hæplə/. ''Origin'': (''haplós''). ''Meaning:'' simple. *:Examples: ''

Haplorhini Haplorhini (), the haplorhines (Greek language, Greek for "simple-nosed") or the "dry-nosed" primates is a suborder of primates containing the Tarsiiformes, tarsiers and the simians (Simiiformes or anthropoids), as sister of the Strepsirrhini ("m ...

'' ("simple-nosed"); ''

'' ("simple hand") *hemi-: ''Pronunciation'': /hɛmi/. ''Origin'': (''hēmi-''). ''Meaning:'' half. *:Examples: '' Hemicyon'' ("half-dog");

hemichordate Hemichordata ( ) is a phylum which consists of triploblastic, eucoelomate, and bilaterally symmetrical marine deuterostome animals, generally considered the sister group of the echinoderms. They appear in the Lower or Middle Cambrian and incl ...

("half-chordate");

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from ...

("half-wing") *hespero-: ''Pronunciation'': /hɛspəroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''hésperos''). ''Meaning'': western (originally, "evening"). *:Examples: ''

Hesperornis ''Hesperornis'' (meaning "western bird") is a genus of cormorant-like Ornithuran that spanned throughout the Campanian age, and possibly even up to the early Maastrichtian age, of the Late Cretaceous period. One of the lesser-known discoverie ...

'' ("western bird"); '' Hesperocyon'' ("western dog"); '' Hesperosaurus'' ("western lizard") * hippus, hippo-: Pronunciation: /hɪpəs/, /hɪpoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''híppos''). ''Meaning'': horse. *:Examples: ''

'' ("dawn horse"); '' Hippodraco'' ("horse dragon"); ''

Hippopotamus The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Sahar ...

'' ("river horse"); ''

Hippocampus The hippocampus (: hippocampi; via Latin from Ancient Greek, Greek , 'seahorse'), also hippocampus proper, is a major component of the brain of humans and many other vertebrates. In the human brain the hippocampus, the dentate gyrus, and the ...

'' ("sea-monster horse"); ''

Hippophae ''Hippophae'', from Ancient Greek ἵππος (''híppos''), meaning "horse", and φάος (''pháos''), meaning "light", is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. They are deciduous shrubs. They are exceptionally hardy plants, ...

'' ("horse light") *hyl-, hylo-: ''Pronunciation'': /haɪl/, /haɪloʊ/ (or /haɪlɒ/). ''Origin'': ("húlē"). ''Meaning:'' wood, forest. *:Examples: ''

Hylonomus ''Hylonomus'' (; ''hylo-'' "forest" + ''nomos'' "dweller") is an extinct genus of reptile that lived during the Bashkirian stage of the Late Carboniferous. It is the earliest known crown group amniote and the oldest known unquestionable reptile, ...

'' ("forest dweller"); ''

'' ("forest walker"); '' Hylarana'' ("forest frog") *-ia: ''Pronunciation'': /iːə/. ''Origin'': (''-ia, -eia''). ''Meaning:'' an abstraction usually used as an honorific for a person or place. *:Examples: ''

Dickinsonia ''Dickinsonia'' is a genus of extinct organism that lived during the late Ediacaran period in what is now Australia, China, Russia, and Ukraine. It had a round, bilaterally symmetric body with multiple segments running along it. It could range f ...

'' ("for Dickinson"); ''

Cooksonia ''Cooksonia'' is an extinct group of primitive land plants, treated as a genus, although probably not monophyletic. The earliest ''Cooksonia'' date from the middle of the Silurian (the Wenlock epoch); the group continued to be an important comp ...

'' ("for Cookson"); '' Coloradia'' ("for

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

"); ''

Edmontonia ''Edmontonia'' is a genus of panoplosaurin nodosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period. It is part of the Nodosauridae, a family within Ankylosauria. It is named after the Edmonton Formation (now the Horseshoe Canyon Formation in Canada ...

'' ("for

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

"); '' Thomashuxleya'' ("for

Thomas Huxley Thomas Henry Huxley (4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895) was an English biologist and anthropologist who specialized in comparative anatomy. He has become known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The stor ...

") *ichthyo-, -ichthys: ''Pronunciation'': /ɪkθioʊs/, /ɪkθis/. ''Origin'': (''ikhthûs''). ''Meaning'': fish. The suffix "-ichthys" is used for fish, while the prefix "ichthyo-", while used for fish, is also used for fish-like creatures. *:Examples: ''

Ichthyosaurus ''Ichthyosaurus'' (derived from Greek () meaning 'fish' and () meaning 'lizard') is a genus of ichthyosaurs from the Early Jurassic (Hettangian - Pliensbachian) of Europe (Belgium, England, Germany and Portugal). Some specimens of the ichthy ...

'' ("fish lizard"); ''

Leedsichthys ''Leedsichthys'' is an extinct genus of pachycormid fish that lived in the oceans of the Middle to Late Jurassic.Liston, JJ (2004). An overview of the pachycormiform ''Leedsichthys''. In: Arratia G and Tintori A (eds) Mesozoic Fishes 3 - Systema ...

'' ("fish from Leeds"); ''

Haikouichthys ''Haikouichthys'' is an extinct genus of craniate (animals with notochords and distinct heads) that lived 518 million years ago, during the Cambrian explosion of multicellular life. The type species, ''Haikouichthys ercaicunensis'', was first ...

'' ("fish from

Haikou Haikou; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanized as Hoihow is the capital city, capital and most populous city of the Chinese province of Hainan. Haikou city is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. ...

"); ''

Ichthyostega ''Ichthyostega'', from Ancient Greek ἰχθύς (''ikthús''), meaning "fish", and στέγη (''stégē''), meaning "roof", is an Extinction, extinct genus of limbed tetrapodomorpha, tetrapodomorphs from the Devonian, Late Devonian of what is ...

'' ("fish roof");

Osteichthyes Osteichthyes ( ; ), also known as osteichthyans or commonly referred to as the bony fish, is a Biodiversity, diverse clade of vertebrate animals that have endoskeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. They can be contrasted with the Chondricht ...

("bony fish");

Chondrichthyes Chondrichthyes (; ) is a class of jawed fish that contains the cartilaginous fish or chondrichthyans, which all have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage. They can be contrasted with the Osteichthyes or ''bony fish'', which have skeleto ...

("cartilaginous fish") *-lania, ''Pronunciation'': /læniːə/, ''Origin'': (''alaínein''): ''Meaning'': to wander. Used for animals that are found in most places around continents. *:Examples: '' Meiolania'' ("weak wanderer"); '' Megalania'' ("great wanderer") *leo-: Pronunciation: /lɛʊ/. ''Origin'': (''léon''): Meaning: lion. *:Examples: ''

Leopardus ''Leopardus'' is a genus comprising eight species of Felinae, small cats native to the Americas. This genus is considered the oldest branch of a genetic lineage of small cats in the Americas whose common ancestor crossed the Bering land bridge fr ...

'' ("spotted lion"); '' Leontopodium'' ("lion foot"); ''

Leontopithecus The four species of lion tamarins or maned marmosets make up the genus ''Leontopithecus''. They are small New World monkeys named for the mane surrounding their face, similar to the mane of a lion. Description Living in the eastern rainforests ...

'' ("lion ape") *lio-: Pronunciation: /liː.oː/. ''Origin'': (''leióō''): Meaning: Make smooth *:Examples: '' Liogramma'' ("smooth writing"); '' Liopleurodon'' ("smooth-sided teeth") *-lepis, lepido-: ''Pronunciation'': /lɛpɪs/ /lɛpɪdoʊ/ (or /lɛpɪdɒ/). ''Origin'': ('). ''Meaning'': scale. *:Examples: '' Mongolepis'' ("Mongolian scale"); '' Stagonolepis'' ("ornamented scale"); '' Polymerolepis'' ("many part scale");

Lepidosauria The Lepidosauria (, from Greek meaning ''scaled lizards'') is a Order (biology), superorder or Class (biology), subclass of reptiles, containing the orders Squamata and Rhynchocephalia. Squamata also includes Lizard, lizards and Snake, snakes. Sq ...

("scaled lizards");

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

("scaled wing"); ''

'' ("scaled tree") *-lestes: ''Pronunciation'': /lɛstiːz/. ''Origin'': ('')''. ''Meaning'': robber. *:Examples: ''

Carpolestes ''Carpolestes'' is a genus of extinct primate-like mammals from the late Paleocene of North America. It first existed around 58 million years ago. The three species of ''Carpolestes'' appear to form a Lineage (evolution), lineage, with the earli ...

'' ("fruit robber"); ''

Ornitholestes ''Ornitholestes'' (meaning "bird robber") is a small theropod dinosaur of the late Jurassic ( Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation, middle Kimmeridgian age, about 154 million years agoTurner, C.E. and Peterson, F., (1999). "Biostratigrap ...

'' ("bird robber"); '' Sarcolestes'' ("flesh robber"); '' Necrolestes'' ("grave robber") *long: ''Pronunciation'': /lʊng/. ''Origin'': zh, s=龙, t=龍. ''Meaning'': dragon. Used for dinosaur finds in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. *:Examples: ''

Mei long ''Mei'' (from zh, t=寐, p=mèi, l=sleepy) is a genus of duck-sized troodontid dinosaur first unearthed by paleontologists from the Yixian Formation in Liaoning, China in 2004. ''Mei'' lived during the Early Cretaceous period. The binomial name ...

'' ("sleeping dragon"); '' Bolong'' ("small dragon"); '' Zuolong'' ("dragon of Zuo"); '' Shaochilong'' ("shark toothed dragon") *-lopho-, -lophus: ''Pronunciation'': /lɒfoʊ/, /ləfəs/. ''Origin'': ('). ''Meaning'': A bird's crest. Used for animals with crests on their heads. *:Examples: ''

'' ("two-crested lizard"); ''

'' ("short-crested lizard"); ''

Saurolophus ''Saurolophus'' (; meaning "lizard crest") is a genus of large hadrosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of Asia and North America, that lived in what is now the Horseshoe Canyon and Nemegt formations about 70 million to 66 million ...

'' ("lizard crest"); ''

Teinolophos ''Teinolophos'', from Ancient Greek τείνω (''teínō''), meaning "extend", and λόφος (''lóphos''), meaning "crest", is a genus of Teinolophidae, teinolophid monotreme that lived during the late Barremian Age (geology), age of the Ear ...

'' ("extended crest") * lyco-: ''Pronunciation'': /lɪkoʊ/. ''Origin'': ('). ''Meaning'': wolf. *:Examples: ''

Lycopodium ''Lycopodium'' (from Ancient Greek ''lykos'', wolf and ''podion'', diminutive of ''pous'', foot) is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedars, in the family Lycopodiaceae. Two very different circumscriptions of the gen ...

'' ("wolf foot"); ''

Lycodon ''Lycodon'' is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as wolf snakes. The Neo-Latin name ''Lycodon'' is derived from the Greek words λύκος (''lykos'') meaning wolf and οδόν (''odon'') meaning tooth, and refers to the fang-like ant ...

'' ("wolf tooth"); ''

Lycoperdon ''Lycoperdon'' is a genus of puffball mushrooms. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 50 species. In general, it contains the smaller species such as the pear-shaped puffball and the gem-studded puffball. It was formerly cl ...

'' ("wolf fart") *macro-: ''Pronunciation'': /mækroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''makrós''). ''Meaning'': (correctly) long; (usually) large. *:Examples: macropod ("big foot"); '' Macrodontophion'' ("big tooth snake"); ''

Macrogryphosaurus ''Macrogryphosaurus'' (meaning "big enigmatic lizard") is a genus of elasmarian dinosaur from the Coniacian age Upper Cretaceous Sierra Barrosa Formation (Neuquén Group) of Argentina in Patagonia. It was described by Jorge Calvo and colleagues ...

'' ("big enigmatic lizard") *-maia, maia-: ''Pronunciation'': /meiə/ ''Origin'': (''Maîa''). ''Meaning'': Originally the mother of Hermes in Greek mythology and the goddess of growth in Roman mythology, alternatively spelled Maja. Frequently used to indicate maternal roles, this word should not be construed as translating directly to "mother" (Latin māter; Ancient Greek μήτηρ ''mḗtēr''); aside from being a proper name, in Ancient Greek "maîa" can translate to "midwife" or "foster mother" and was used as an honorific address for older women, typically translated into English as "Good Mother". *:Examples: '' Maiasaura'' ("Good Mother/Maia's lizard"); ''

'' ("dawn Maia"); ''

Juramaia ''Juramaia'' is an extinct genus of a therian mammal, possibly a very basal eutherian mammal, known from the Late Jurassic ( Oxfordian stage) or Early Cretaceous deposits of western Liaoning, China. It is a small shrew-like mammal weighing aro ...

'' ("

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

Maia"); ''

Maiacetus ''Maiacetus'' ("mother whale") is a genus of early cetacean from the Habib Rahi Formation of Pakistan. Paleobiology The genus contains a single species, ''Maiacetus inuus'', first described in 2009 on the basis of two specimens, including a sp ...

'' ("mother whale") *mega-, megalo-: ''Pronunciation'': /mɛga/, /mɛgaloʊ̯/. ''Origin'': (''mégas, megálē''). ''Meaning'': big/great. *:Examples: '' Megarachne'' ("great spider"); ''

Megalosaurus ''Megalosaurus'' (meaning "great lizard", from Ancient Greek, Greek , ', meaning 'big', 'tall' or 'great' and , ', meaning 'lizard') is an extinct genus of large carnivorous theropod dinosaurs of the Middle Jurassic Epoch (Bathonian stage, 166 ...

'' ("great lizard"); ''

megalodon ''Otodus megalodon'' ( ; meaning "big tooth"), Common name, commonly known as megalodon, is an extinction, extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Earl ...

'' ("great tooth") *micro-: ''Pronunciation'': /maɪkroʊ̯/. ''Origin'': (''mikrós''). ''Meaning'': "small". *:Examples: ''

Microraptor ''Microraptor'' (Greek language, Greek, μικρός, ''mīkros'': "small"; Latin language, Latin, ''raptor'': "one who seizes") is a genus of small, four-winged dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. Numerous well-preserved fossil specimens have been recovere ...

'' ("small thief"); '' Microvenator'' ("small hunter"); '' Microceratops'' ("small horned face") *mimo-, -mimus: /maɪmoʊ̯/, /maɪməs/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': actor. Used for creatures that resemble others. *:Examples: ''

Struthiomimus ''Struthiomimus'', meaning "ostrich-mimic" (from the Greek στρούθειος/''stroutheios'', or "of the ostrich", and μῖμος/''mimos'', meaning "mimic" or "imitator"), is a genus of ornithomimid dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous of Nor ...

''; ("ostrich mimic"); ''

Ornithomimus ''Ornithomimus'' (; "bird mimic") is a genus of ornithomimid theropod dinosaurs from the Campanian and Maastrichtian ages of Late Cretaceous Western North America. ''Ornithomimus'' was a swift, bipedal dinosaur which fossil evidence indicates wa ...

'' ("bird mimic"); ''

Gallimimus ''Gallimimus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous period, about seventy million years ago (mya). Several fossils in various stages of growth were discovered by Polish-Mongolian expe ...

'' ("chicken mimic");

Ornithomimosauria Ornithomimosauria ("bird-mimic lizards") are theropod dinosaurs which bore a superficial resemblance to the modern-day ostrich. They were fast, omnivorous or herbivorous dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period of Laurasia (now Asia, Europe and No ...

("bird mimic lizard") * -monas, -monad: ''Pronunciation'': /moʊnas/, /monas/, /moʊnad/, /monad/. ''Origin'': (''monás''). ''Meaning'': unit. Used for single-celled organisms. *:Examples: ''

Chlamydomonas ''Chlamydomonas'' ( ) is a genus of green algae consisting of about 150 species of unicellular organism, unicellular flagellates, found in stagnant water and on damp soil, in freshwater, seawater, and even in snow as "snow algae". ''Chlamydom ...

'' ("cloak unit"); ''

Pseudomonas ''Pseudomonas'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the family Pseudomonadaceae in the class Gammaproteobacteria. The 348 members of the genus demonstrate a great deal of metabolic diversity and consequently are able to colonize a ...

'' ("false unit");

Metamonad The metamonads are a large group of flagellate amitochondriate microscopic eukaryotes. They include the retortamonads, diplomonads, parabasalids, oxymonads, and a range of more poorly studied taxa, most of which are free-living flagellates. ...

("encompassing unit") *-morph: ''Pronunciation'': /moʊrf/. ''Origin'': (''morphḗ''). ''Meaning'': form, shape. Used for large groups of animals which share a common genetic lineage *:Examples:

Crocodylomorpha Crocodylomorpha is a group of pseudosuchian archosaurs that includes the crocodilians and their extinct relatives. They were the only members of Pseudosuchia to survive the end-Triassic extinction. Extinct crocodylomorphs were considerably mor ...

("crocodile form");

Sauropodomorpha Sauropodomorpha ( ; from Greek, meaning "lizard-footed forms") is an extinct clade of long-necked, herbivorous, saurischian dinosaurs that includes the sauropods and their ancestral relatives. Sauropods generally grew to very large sizes, had lo ...

sauropod Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their b ...

form");

Muscomorpha The Brachyceran infraorder Muscomorpha is a large and diverse group of flies, containing the bulk of the Brachycera and most of the known fly, flies. It includes a number of the most familiar flies, such as the housefly, the Drosophila, fruit fly ...

(" fly form"); ''

Dimorphodon ''Dimorphodon'' ( ) is a genus of medium-sized pterosaur from Europe during the early Jurassic Period (about 201-191 million years ago).Müller R.T., Ezcurra M.D., Garcia M.S., Agnolín F.L., Stocker M.R., Novas F.E., Soares M.B., Kellner A.W.A. ...

'' ("two shaped teeth") *-nax, -anax-: ''Pronunciation'': /nax/, /ænax/. ''Origin:'' (''ánax''). ''Meaning'': king. *:Examples: '' Lythronax'' ("gore lord"); ''

Saurophaganax ''Saurophaganax'' ("lord of lizard-eaters") is a dubious, chimeric genus of large saurischian dinosaur, possibly a sauropod, from the Late Jurassic ( Kimmeridgian) Morrison Formation of Oklahoma, United States. This taxon was historically co ...

'' ("lizard eating lord") *-noto-: ''Pronunciation'': /notoʊ/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': south, southern wind. Used for organisms found in the Southern Hemisphere. *:Examples: ''

'' ("giant southern lizard"); '' Notosuchus'' ("southern crocodile");

Notopalaeognathae Notopalaeognathae is a clade that contains the order Rheiformes (rheas), the clade Novaeratitae (which includes the cassowaries and emus, the kiwis, and the extinct elephant birds), and the clade Dinocrypturi (comprising the tinamous and t ...

("southern old jaws") *-nych, nycho-, -nyx: see -onych, onycho-, -onyx. *-odon, -odont, -odonto-, -odus: ''Pronunciation'': /oʊdɒn/, /oʊdɒnt/, /oʊdɒntoʊ/, /oʊdəs/. ''Origin'': (''odoús'', ''odontos''). ''Meaning'': tooth, of a tooth, respectively. *:Examples: ''

Dimetrodon ''Dimetrodon'' ( or ; ) is an extinct genus of sphenacodontid synapsid that lived during the Cisuralian (Early Permian) Epoch (geology), epoch of the Permian period, around 295–272 million years ago. With most species measuring long and ...

'' ("two-measures of teeth"),

cynodont Cynodontia () is a clade of eutheriodont therapsids that first appeared in the Late Permian (approximately 260 Megaannum, mya), and extensively diversified after the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Mammals are cynodonts, as are their extin ...

("dog tooth"); '' Carcharodontosaurus'' ("shark tooth lizard"), ''

Otodus ''Otodus'' is an extinct, cosmopolitan genus of mackerel shark which lived from the Paleocene to the Pliocene epoch. The name ''Otodus'' comes from Ancient Greek (, meaning "ear") and (, meaning "tooth") – thus, "ear-shaped tooth". Descript ...

'' ("ear tooth"), ''

'' ("bear tooth"); ''

Tetraodon ''Tetraodon'' is a genus in the pufferfish family (Tetraodontidae) found in freshwater in Africa. It is the type genus of the family and historically included numerous other species; several Asian species were moved to the genera '' Dichotomycter ...

'' ("four tooth") *-oides, -odes: ''Pronunciation'': /oiːdiːz/, /oʊːdiːz/. ''Origin'': (''eîdos''). ''Meaning'': likeness. Used for species that resemble other species. *:Examples: '' Hypocnemoides'' ("like Hypocnemis"); '' Aetobarbakinoides'' ("like the long-legged buzzard"); '' Callianthemoides'' ("like '' Callianthemum''"); ''

Argyrodes The genus name is a combination of the Ancient Greek " argyros" (), meaning "silver", and the suffix "-odes", meaning "like". ''Argyrodes'', also called dewdrop spiders, is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis ...

'' ("like silver") *onycho-, -onychus, -onyx: /ɒnikoʊ/, /ɒnikəs/ (or /ɒnaɪkoʊ/, ɒnaɪkəs/), /ɒniks/. ''Origin'': (''ónux''). ''Meaning'': claw. *:Examples: ''

'' ("terrible claw"); '' Euronychodon'' ("European claw tooth"); ''

Nothronychus ''Nothronychus'' (meaning "slothful claw") is a genus of therizinosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period. The type species, ''Nothronychus mckinleyi'', was described by James Kirkland and Dougla ...

'' ("sloth claw"), ''

Baryonyx ''Baryonyx'' () is a genus of theropod dinosaur which lived in the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous period, about 130–125 million years ago. The first skeleton was discovered in 1983 in the Smokejack Clay Pit, of Surrey, England, in ...

'' ("heavy claw") *ophi-: ''Pronunciation'': /ɒfɪs/. ''Origin'': (''óphis''). ''Meaning'': snake. Used for

Ophidia __FORCETOC__ Ophidia (also known as Pan-Serpentes) is a group of squamate reptiles including modern snakes and reptiles more closely related to snakes than to other living groups of lizards. Ophidia was defined as the "most recent common ancesto ...

or snake-like animals. *:Examples: ''

Ophiacodon ''Ophiacodon'' (meaning "snake tooth") is an extinct genus of synapsid belonging to the family Ophiacodontidae that lived from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Permian in North America and Europe. The genus was named along with its type specie ...

'' ("snake tooth"); ''

Ophisaurus ''Ophisaurus'' (from the Greek 'snake-lizard') is a genus of superficially snake-like legless lizards in the subfamily Anguinae. Known as joint snakes, glass snakes, or glass lizards, they are so-named because their tails are easily broken; li ...

'' ("snake lizard"); ''

Ophiopogon ''Ophiopogon'' (lilyturf) is a genus of evergreen perennial plants native to warm temperate to tropical East, Southeast, and South Asia. Despite their grasslike appearance, they are not closely related to the true grasses, the Poaceae. The name ...

'' ("snake beard") *-ops: ''Pronunciation'': /ɒps/. ''Origin'': (''óps''). ''Meaning'': face, eye. *:Examples: ''

'' ("three-horned face"); '' Lycaenops'' ("wolf face"); ''

Moschops ''Moschops'' (Greek for "calf face") is an extinct genus of therapsids that lived in the Guadalupian Epoch (geology), epoch, around 265–260 million years ago. They were heavily built plant eaters, and they may have lived partly in water, as hi ...

'' ("calf face"); '' Spinops'' ("spine face"); ''

Triops ''Triops'', from Ancient Greek τρία (''tría''), meaning "three", and ὄψ (''óps''), meaning "face" or "eye", is a genus of small crustaceans in the order Notostraca (tadpole shrimp). The long-lasting resting eggs of several species of '' ...

'' ("three eyes"); *-ornis, ornith-, ornitho-: ''Pronunciation'': /oʊ̯rnɪs/, /oʊ̯rnɪθ/, /oʊ̯rnɪθoʊ̯/. ''Origin'': (''órnis, órnithos''). ''Meaning'': bird, of a bird respectively. "ornith-" and "ornitho-" are generally used for animals with birdlike characteristics; the suffix "-ornis" is generally applied to fossil bird species. *:Examples:

ornithischian Ornithischia () is an extinct clade of mainly herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a pelvic structure superficially similar to that of birds. The name ''Ornithischia'', or "bird-hipped", reflects this similarity and is derived from the Greek st ...

("bird-hipped"); ''

'' ("bird-hand"); '' Eoconfuciusornis'' ("dawn bird of

Confucius Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...

") *orth-, ortho-: ''Pronunciation'': /oʊ̯rθ/, /oʊ̯rθoʊ̯/. ''Origin'': (''órthos''). ''Meaning'': straight. *:Examples:

Orthocone An orthocone is the long, cone-shaped Exoskeleton, shell belonging to several species of ancient nautiloid cephalopod—the prehistoric ancestors of today's marine cephalopod Mollusca, mollusks, including the cuttlefishes, nautiluses, octopuses an ...

("straight cone"); ''

'' ("straight horn"); '' Orthacanthus'' ("straight spine") *pachy-: ''Pronunciation'': /pæki/ ''Origin'': (''pakhús''). ''Meaning'': thick. *:Examples: ''

'' ("thick-headed lizard"); ''

Pachylemur ''Pachylemur'' is an Subfossil lemur, extinct, giant lemur most closely related to the ruffed lemurs of genus ''Varecia''. Two species are known, ''Pachylemur insignis'' and ''Pachylemur jullyi'', although there is some doubt as to whether or not ...

'' ("thick lemur"); '' Pachyuromys'' ("thick tailed mouse"); Pachydermata ("thick skin") *para-: ''Pronunciation'': /pærɑː/ ''Origin'': (''pará''). ''Meaning'': near. Used for species that resemble previously named species. *:Examples: '' Paranthodon'' ("nearly flower tooth"); ''

Pararhabdodon ''Pararhabdodon'' (meaning "near fluted tooth" in reference to ''Rhabdodon'') is a genus of tsintaosaurin hadrosaurid dinosaur, from the Maastrichtian-age Upper Cretaceous Tremp Group of Spain. The first remains were discovered from the Sant Rom� ...

'' ("near fluted tooth"); ''

Parasaurolophus ''Parasaurolophus'' (; meaning "beside crested lizard" in reference to ''Saurolophus'') is a genus of hadrosaurid "duck-billed" dinosaur that lived in what is now western North America and possibly Asia during the Late Cretaceous period, a ...

'' ("near lizard crest") * -pelta: ''Pronunciation'': / pɛltə:/ ''Origin'': (''péltē''). ''Meaning'': shield. Frequently used for

ankylosaurs Ankylosauria is a group of herbivorous dinosaurs of the clade Ornithischia. It includes the great majority of dinosaurs with Armour (zoology), armor in the form of bony osteoderms, similar to turtles. Ankylosaurs were bulky quadrupeds, with short ...

. *:Examples: ''

Sauropelta ''Sauropelta'' ( ; meaning 'lizard shield') is a genus of nodosaurid dinosaur that existed in the Early Cretaceous Period of North America. One species (''S. edwardsorum'') has been named. Anatomically, ''Sauropelta'' is one of the most well-und ...

'' ("lizard shield"); '' Dracopelta'' ("dragon shield"); ''

Cedarpelta ''Cedarpelta'' is an extinct genus of basal ankylosaurid dinosaur from Utah that lived during the Late Cretaceous period (Cenomanian to lower Turonian stage, 98.2 to 93 Ma) in what is now the Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation. ...

'' ("shield from the Cedar Mountains") *-phagus, -phagan-: ''Pronunciation'': /feɪgəs/, /feɪgən/. ''Origin'': (''phágos''). ''Meaning'': eater, eating, glutton. Used for organisms perceived as eating a particular type of thing. *:Examples: ''

'' ("lord of the lizard-eaters"); '' Ophiophagus'' ("snake-eating"); ''

Myrmecophaga The giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is the largest of the four living species of anteaters, which are classified with sloths in the order Pilosa. The only extant ...

'' ("ant-eater") *-philus, -phila, philo-: ''Pronunciation'': /fiːləs/, /fiːlə/, /fiːloʊ/. ''Origin'': (''phílos''). ''Meaning'': dear, beloved, loving. Used for organisms perceived as having a fondness for a particular thing. *:Examples: '' Sarcophilus'' ("flesh-loving"); ''

Drosophila ''Drosophila'' (), from Ancient Greek δρόσος (''drósos''), meaning "dew", and φίλος (''phílos''), meaning "loving", is a genus of fly, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or p ...

'' ("dew-loving");

("flower-loving"); ''

Philodendron ''Philodendron'' is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. , the Plants of the World Online accepted 621 species; other sources accept different numbers. Regardless of number of species, the genus is the second-largest member o ...

'' ("loving trees") *-phyton, -phyta, phyto-, -phyte: ''Pronunciation'': /faɪtən/, /faitə/, /faɪtoʊ/, /faɪt/. ''Origin'': (''phutón''). ''Meaning'': plant. *:Examples: ''

Spermatophyta A seed plant or spermatophyte (; New Latin ''spermat-'' and Greek ' (phytón), plant), also known as a phanerogam (taxon Phanerogamae) or a phaenogam (taxon Phaenogamae), is any plant that produces seeds. It is a category of embryophyte (i.e. l ...

'' ("seed plant");

Rhyniophyte The rhyniophytes are a group of extinct early vascular plants that are considered to be similar to the genus ''Rhynia'', found in the Early Devonian (around ). Sources vary in the name and Taxonomic rank#Ranks in botany, rank used for this group, ...

("plant of the

Rhynie chert The Rhynie chert is a Lower Devonian Sedimentary rock, sedimentary deposit exhibiting extraordinary fossil detail or completeness (a Lagerstätte). It is exposed near the village of Rhynie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; a second unit, the Windyfield ...

"); ''

Phytophthora ''Phytophthora'' (from Greek (''phytón''), "plant" and (), "destruction"; "the plant-destroyer") is a genus of plant-damaging oomycetes (water molds), whose member species cause economic losses on crops worldwide, as well as environmental dam ...

'' ("plant destroyer"); ''

Phytolacca ''Phytolacca'' is a genus of perennial plants native to North America, South America and East Asia. Some members of the genus are known as pokeweeds or similar names such as pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot or poke sallet. Other names for species ...

'' ("plant

lac Lac may refer to: Places Africa * Lac Region, a district in Chad * Lac Prefecture, a district in Chad America * Rivière du Lac, a tributary of the Montmorency River, in Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, Canada Europe * Laç, a city in Albania * Lac ...

") *-pithecus, pitheco-: ''Pronunciation'': /piθəkəs/, /piθəkoʊ/, //piθəkə/. ''Origin'': (''píthēkos''). ''Meaning'': ape, monkey. *:Examples: ''

Australopithecus ''Australopithecus'' (, ; or (, ) is a genus of early hominins that existed in Africa during the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. The genera ''Homo'' (which includes modern humans), ''Paranthropus'', and ''Kenyanthropus'' evolved from some ''Aus ...

'' ("southern ape"); ''

Ardipithecus ''Ardipithecus'' is a genus of an extinct hominine that lived during the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene epochs in the Afar Depression, Ethiopia. Originally described as one of the earliest ancestors of humans after they diverged from the chim ...

'' ("floor ape"); ''

'' ("giant ape"); '' Pithecellobium'' ("monkey earring") *platy-: ''Pronunciation'': /ˈplætɪ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πλατύς (''platús''). ''Meaning'': flat. Used for creatures that are flat or have flat parts. *:Examples: ''

Platyhelminthes Platyhelminthes (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") is a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegmented, soft-bodied invertebrates commonly called f ...

'' ("flat worm"); ''

Platybelodon ''Platybelodon'' (possibly "shovel tooth") is an extinct genus of Amebelodontidae, amebelodontid proboscidean mammal, distantly related to modern-day elephants. Fossils are known from middle Miocene strata from parts of Asia and the Caucasus. The ...

'' ("flat spear-tusk"); '' Platycodon'' ("flat bell");

Platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or monotypi ...

("flat foot") *plesio-, plesi-: ''Pronunciation'': /pliːziːoʊ/, /pliːz/ (or pliːʒ/). ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πλησίον (''plēsíon''). ''Meaning'': near. Used for species that bear similarities to other species. *:Examples: ''

Plesiosaurus ''Plesiosaurus'' (Greek: ' ('), near to + ' ('), lizard) is a genus of extinct, large marine sauropterygian reptile that lived during the Early Jurassic. It is known by nearly complete skeletons from the Lias of England. It is distinguishable by ...

'' ("near lizard"); ''

Plesiorycteropus ''Plesiorycteropus'', also known as the bibymalagasy or Malagasy aardvark, is a recently extinct genus of mammals from Madagascar. Upon its description in 1895, it was classified with the aardvark, but more recent molecular evidence instead sug ...

'' ("near

aardvark Aardvarks ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') are medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammals native to Africa. Aardvarks are the only living species of the family Orycteropodidae and the order Tubulidentata. They have a long proboscis, similar to a pi ...

"); '' Plesiobaena'' ("near ''Baena''"); ''

Plesiadapis ''Plesiadapis'' is one of the oldest known primate-like mammal genera which existed about 58–55 million years ago in North America and Europe. ''Plesiadapis'' means "near-Adapis", which is a reference to the Adapiformes, adapiform primate of th ...

'' ("near '' Adapis''") *-pod, podo-, -pus: ''Pronunciation'': /pɒd/, /pɒdoʊ/, /pʊs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πούς, ποδός (''poús, podós''). Meaning: foot, of the foot, respectively. *:Examples:

Ornithopod Ornithopoda () is a clade of ornithischian dinosaurs, called ornithopods (). They represent one of the most successful groups of herbivorous dinosaurs during the Cretaceous. The most primitive members of the group were bipedal and relatively sm ...

("bird foot"); '' Brachypodosaurus'' ("short footed lizard"); ''

Moropus ''Moropus'' (meaning "slow foot") is an extinct genus of large perissodactyl mammal in the chalicothere family. They were endemic to North America during the Miocene from ~20.4–13.6 Mya (unit), Mya, existing for approximately . ''Moropus'' belo ...

'' ("slow foot"); ''

Octopus An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...

'' ("eight foot");

("flat foot"); '' Orycteropus'' ("burrowing foot");

Decapoda The Decapoda or decapods, from Ancient Greek δεκάς (''dekás''), meaning "ten", and πούς (''poús''), meaning "foot", is a large order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, and includes crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, a ...

("ten foot") *-prion: ''Pronunciation'': /prɪɒn/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πριὢν. Meaning: saw. *: Examples: ''

Helicoprion ''Helicoprion'' is an Extinction, extinct genus of shark-like Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous fish in the order Eugeneodontiformes. Almost all ''Helicoprion'' Fossil, fossils consist of spirally-arranged clusters of fused teeth, called "tooth whor ...

'' ("spiral saw"); ''

Ornithoprion ''Ornithoprion'' is an extinct genus of cartilaginous fish. The only species, O. ''hertwigi'', lived during the Moscovian stage of the Pennsylvanian, between 315.2 and 307 million years ago, and is preserved in black shales from what is now t ...

'' ("bird saw"); ''

Onychoprion ''Onychoprion'' is a genus of four species of terns in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek , "claw" or "nail", and , "saw". As a group, they have been variously called "brown-winged terns" or "brown-backed terns", though onl ...

'' ("claw saw"); '' Suchoprion'' ("crocodile saw").

Prions A prion () is a misfolded protein that induces misfolding in normal variants of the same protein, leading to cellular death. Prions are responsible for prion diseases, known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSEs), which are fat ...

are a subfamily of saw-beaked

petrel Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the phylogenetic order Procellariiformes. Description Petrels are a monophyletic group of marine seabirds, sharing a characteristic of a nostril arrangement that results in the name "tubenoses". Petrels enco ...

s. *pro-, protero-: ''pronunciation:'' /proʊ̯/, /proʊ̯tεroʊ̯/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πρό, πρότερος (''pró, próteros''). Meaning: before. Usually used for ancestral forms. *:Examples: '' Proterosuchus'' ("early crocodile"); ''

Procompsognathus ''Procompsognathus'' is an extinct genus of Coelophysidae, coelophysid Theropoda, theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 210 million years ago during the later part of the Triassic Period (geology), Period, in what is now Germany. ''Procomp ...

'' ("early elegant jaw"); ''

Prosaurolophus ''Prosaurolophus'' (; meaning "before ''Saurolophus''", in comparison to the later dinosaur with a similar head crest) is a genus of hadrosaurid (or duck-billed) dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America. It is known from the remains of ...

'' ("early lizard crest") *proto-: ''Pronunciation'': /proʊtoʊ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πρῶτος (''prōtos''). Meaning: first. Used for early appearances in the fossil record. *:Examples: ''

Protoceratops ''Protoceratops'' (; ) is a genus of small protoceratopsid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous, around 75 to 71 million years ago. The genus ''Protoceratops'' includes two species: ''P. andrewsi'' and the larger ''P. hellenik ...

'' ("first horned face"); '' Protognathosaurus'' ("first jaw lizard"); '' Protohadros'' ("first

hadrosaur Hadrosaurids (), also hadrosaurs or duck-billed dinosaurs, are members of the ornithischian family Hadrosauridae. This group is known as the duck-billed dinosaurs for the flat duck-bill appearance of the bones in their snouts. The ornithopod fami ...

") *psittaco-, -psitta: ''Pronunciation'': /sitɑːkoʊ/, /psitə/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ψιττακός (''psittakós''). ''Meaning'': parrot. "Psittaco-" is used for parrot-like creatures, while the suffix "psitta" is used for parrots. *:Examples: ''

Psittacosaurus ''Psittacosaurus'' ( ; "parrot lizard") is a genus of extinct ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of what is now Asia, existing between 125 and 105 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich non-avian dinosaur ...

'' ("parrot lizard"); '' Cyclopsitta'' ("

Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...

parrot"); ''

Xenopsitta ''Xenopsitta'' is a prehistoric parrot genus known from a fossil tarsometatarsus in early Miocene deposits at Merkur, in western Bohemia of the Czech Republic, and described by Jiri Mlikovsky in 1998. The type species is ''Xenopsitta fejfari''. ...

'' ("strange parrot"). *pter-, ptero-, -pterus, pteryg-, -ptera, -pteryx. Pronunciation: /ter/, /teroʊ/, /pterəs/, /terɪg/, /pterə/, /pterɪx/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πτέρυξ, πτέρυγος (''pterux, ptérugos''). ''Meaning:'' wing, of a wing, respectively. Used for many winged creatures, but also expanded to mean "fin", and used for many undersea

arthropods Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

. The suffix "-ptera" is also used in orders of winged insects. *:Examples: '' Bolivaria brachyptera'' ("short winged mantis"); ''

'' ("toothless wing"); ''

'' ("winged finger"); ''

Eurypterus ''Eurypterus'' ( ) is an extinct genus of eurypterid, a group of organisms commonly called "sea scorpions". The genus lived during the Silurian period, from around 432 to 418 million years ago. ''Eurypterus'' is by far the most well-studied and ...

'' ("wide wing" or fin); '' Pterygotus'' ("winged" or finned);

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

("sheathed wing"); ''

'' ("ancient wing"); ''

Stenopterygius ''Stenopterygius'' is an extinct genus of thunnosaur ichthyosaur known from Europe (England, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland). History ''Stenopterygius'' was originally named by Quenstedt in 1856 as a species of ''Ichthyosaurus'', '' ...

'' ("narrow finned");

("scaled wing");

("hand wing");

Dermoptera Colugos (), flying lemurs, or cobegos (), are arboreal gliding euarchontogliran mammals that are native to Southeast Asia. Their closest evolutionary relatives are primates. There are just two living species of colugos: the Sunda flying lemur ...

("skin wing") *-pus: see -pod, -podo-, -pus. *-raptor, raptor-: ''Pronunciation'': /ræptər/. ''Origin'': Latin raptor. ''Meaning'': "robber, thief". Frequently used for

dromaeosaurid Dromaeosauridae () is a family (biology), family of feathered coelurosaurian Theropoda, theropod dinosaurs. They were generally small to medium-sized feathered carnivores that flourished in the Cretaceous period (geology), Period. The name Drom ...

s or similar animals. The term "raptor" by itself may also be used for a dromeosaurid, a ''

Velociraptor ''Velociraptor'' (; ) is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in th ...

'', or originally, a

bird of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

. *:Examples: ''

'' ("speedy thief"); ''

Utahraptor ''Utahraptor'' (meaning "Utah's predator") is a genus of large dromaeosaurid (a group of feathered carnivorous theropods) dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period from around 139 to 135 million years ago in what is now the United ...

'' ("thief from

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

"); '' Raptorex'' ("thief king") *-rex: Pronunciation: /rεks/. ''Origin'': Latin rex. ''Meaning'': king. Often used for large or impressive animals. *:Examples: '' Raptorex'' ("thief king"); '' Dracorex'' ("dragon king"); ''

Tyrannosaurus rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It live ...

'' ("tyrant lizard king") * -rhina, rhino-, -rhinus: ''Pronunciation'': /raɪnə/ /raɪnoʊ̯/, /raɪnəs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ῥίς (''rhís''). ''Meaning'': nose. *:Examples: ''

Altirhinus ''Altirhinus'' (; "high nose") is a genus of hadrosauroid ornithopod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous period of Mongolia. History of discovery All known specimens of ''Altirhinus'' were recovered in 1981 during collaborative expeditions organ ...

'' ("high nose"); '' Pachyrhinosaurus'' ("thick-nosed lizard"); '' Lycorhinus'' ("wolf nose"); '' Arrhinoceratops'' ("noseless horned face"); ''

Cretoxyrhina ''Cretoxyrhina'' (; meaning 'Cretaceous sharp-nose') is an extinct genus of large mackerel shark that lived about 107 to 73 million years ago during the late Albian to late Campanian of the Late Cretaceous. The type species, ''C. mantelli'', is m ...

'' ("Cretaceous sharp nose"); ''

Rhinoceros A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

'' ("nose horn") * rhodo-: ''Pronunciation'': /roʊdoʊ/, /rodoʊ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ῥόδον (''rhódon''). ''Meaning'': "rose". Used for red-colored or otherwise rose-like organisms. *:Examples: ''

'' ("rose tree"); ''

Rhodophyta Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), make up one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta comprises one of the largest phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 recognized species within over 900 genera amidst ongoing taxonomic revisions. ...

'' ("rose plant"); ''

Rhodomonas ''Rhodomonas'' is a genus of cryptomonads. It is characterized by its red colour, the square-shaped plates of its inner periplast, its short furrow ending in a gullet, and a distinctly shaped chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of memb ...

'' ("rose unit") *rhynco-, -rhynchus: ''Pronunciation'': /rɪnkoʊ/, /rɪnkəs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ῥύγχος (''rhúnkhos''). ''Meaning'': "beak", "snout". *:Examples: ''

Rhamphorhynchus ''Rhamphorhynchus'' (, from Ancient Greek ''rhamphos'' meaning "beak" and ''rhynchus'' meaning "snout") is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such ...

'' ("beak snout"); '' Aspidorhynchus'' ("shield snout"); '' Ornithorhynchus'' ("bird snout"); ''

rhynchosaur Rhynchosaurs are a group of extinct herbivorous Triassic archosauromorph reptiles, belonging to the order Rhynchosauria. Members of the group are distinguished by their triangular skulls and elongated, beak like premaxillary bones. Rhynchosaurs ...

'' ("beaked lizard"); ''

Rhynchocephalia Rhynchocephalia (; ) is an order of lizard-like reptiles that includes only one living species, the tuatara (''Sphenodon punctatus'') of New Zealand. Despite its current lack of diversity, during the Mesozoic rhynchocephalians were a speciose g ...

'' ("beaked head"); ''

Oncorhynchus ''Oncorhynchus'', from Ancient Greek ὄγκος (''ónkos''), meaning "bend", and ῥύγχος (''rhúnkhos''), meaning "snout", is a genus of ray-finned fish in the subfamily Salmoninae of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native to col ...

'' ("bent snout") *sarco-: Pronunciation: /sɑːrkʊ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek σάρξ (''sárx''). ''Meaning'': flesh. Used for flesh-eating animals or animals and plants with fleshy parts *:Examples: '' Sarcophilus'' ("flesh-loving");

Sarcopterygii Sarcopterygii (; )—sometimes considered synonymous with Crossopterygii ()—is a clade (traditionally a class (biology), class or subclass) of vertebrate animals which includes a group of bony fish commonly referred to as lobe-finned fish. The ...

("fleshy fin"); '' Sarcosuchus'' ("flesh crocodile") *saur, sauro-, -saurus, -saura: Pronunciation: /sɔər/, /sɔəroʊ/, /sɔərəs/, /sɔəra/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ('). ''Meaning'': lizard. Used for dinosaurs and other extinct reptiles. *:Examples:

Dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

("terrible lizard");

Mosasaur Mosasaurs (from Latin ''Mosa'' meaning the 'Meuse', and Ancient Greek, Greek ' meaning 'lizard') are an extinct group of large aquatic reptiles within the family Mosasauridae that lived during the Late Cretaceous. Their first fossil remains wer ...

("lizard from the

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

River"), ''

Tyrannosaurus ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived througho ...

'' ("tyrant lizard"), ''

Allosaurus ''Allosaurus'' ( ) is an extinct genus of theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 145 million years ago during the Late Jurassic period ( Kimmeridgian to late Tithonian ages). The first fossil remains that could definitively be ascribed to th ...

'' ("other lizard"), ''

Sauroposeidon ''Sauroposeidon'' ( ; meaning "lizard earthquake deity, god", after the Greek god Poseidon) is a genus of sauropod dinosaur known from several incomplete specimens including a bone bed and fossilized trackways that have been found in the U.S. st ...

'' ("lizard of

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

"), '' Maiasaura'' (" caring mother lizard"), '' Bonitasaura'' ("lizard from La Bonita"), '' Pleurosaurus'' ("rib lizard") *sin-, sino-: ''Pronunciation''; /sɪn/, /saɪnoʊ̯/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': from China. *:Examples: ''

Sinornithosaurus ''Sinornithosaurus'' (derived from a combination of Latin and Ancient Greek, Greek, meaning 'Chinese bird-lizard') is a genus of Feathered dinosaurs, feathered dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the early Cretaceous Period (geology), Period (late Barrem ...

''; ("Chinese bird-lizard"); ''

Sinosauropteryx ''Sinosauropteryx'' (meaning "Chinese reptilian wing") is an extinct genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs. Described in 1996, it was the first dinosaur taxon outside of Avialae (birds and their immediate relatives) to be found with eviden ...

'' ("Chinese lizard wing"); '' Sinoceratops'' ("Chinese horned face"); ''

Sinraptor ''Sinraptor'' () is a genus of metriacanthosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic. The name ''Sinraptor'' comes from the Latin prefix "Sino", meaning Chinese, and "raptor", meaning robber. The specific name ''dongi'' honours Dong Zhimin ...

'' ("Chinese thief") *smilo-, -smilus: ''Pronunciation'': /smaɪloʊ/, /smaɪləs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek σμίλη ('). ''Meaning'': a carving knife or chisel. Used for animals with sabre teeth. *:Examples: ''

Smilodon ''Smilodon'' is an extinct genus of Felidae, felids. It is one of the best known saber-toothed predators and prehistoric mammals. Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely related to the tiger or other modern cats ...

'' ("knife tooth"); '' Smilosuchus'' ("knife crocodile"); '' Thylacosmilus'' ("pouched knife"); '' Xenosmilus'' ("strange knife") *spino-, -spino-, -spinax, -spinus: ''Pronunciation'': /spaɪnə/, /spaɪnæks/, /spaɪnəs/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': a thorn, a spine. *:Examples: '' Altispinax'' ("with high spines"); '' Gigantspinosaurus'' ("giant-spined lizard"); '' Iberospinus'' ("Iberian spine"); '' Spinops'' ("spine face"); ''

Spinosaurus ''Spinosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of large spinosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in what now is North Africa during the Cenomanian faunal stage, stage of the Late Cretaceous Period (geology), period, about 100 to 94 annum, million year ...

'' ("spine lizard") *-spondylus: Pronunciation: /spɒndələs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek σπόνδυλος ('). ''Meaning'': vertebra. *:Examples: ''

Streptospondylus ''Streptospondylus'', from Ancient Greek στρεπτός (''streptós''), meaning "twisted", and σπόνδυλος (''spóndulos''), meaning "vertebra", is a genus of tetanuran theropod dinosaur known from the Late Jurassic period of France, 1 ...

'' ("curved vertebrae"); ''

Massospondylus ''Massospondylus'' ( ) is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of southern Africa. It was described by Sir Richard Owen in 1854 from remains discovered in South Africa, and is thus one of the first dinosaurs to have been ...

'' ("massive vertebrae"); ''

Bothriospondylus ''Bothriospondylus'', from Ancient Greek βοθρίον (''bothríon''), meaning "trench", and σπόνδυλος (''spóndulos''), meaning "vertebra", is a nomen dubium, dubious genus of neosauropod sauropod dinosaur. It lived during the Late Ju ...

'' ("excavated vertebrae") *squali-, squalo-: Pronunciation: /skweɪlɪ/, /skweɪloʊ/ . ''Origin'': Latin squalus. ''Meaning'': a kind of sea fish. Used for shark-like creatures. *:Examples: '' Squalodon'' ("shark tooth"); ''

'' ("shark form"); ''

Squalicorax ''Squalicorax'', commonly known as the crow shark, is a genus of extinct lamniform shark known to have lived during the Cretaceous period. The genus had a global distribution in the Late Cretaceous epoch. Multiple species within this genus are co ...

'' ("shark raven"); ''

Squalomorphi Squalomorphi is a superorder of sharks, generally characterized by lacking traits such as an anal fin, nictitating membrane, or suborbital shelves in the cranium. Squalomorphs are also called squalea, or squaleans. There are about 163 living spec ...

'' ("shark shape") *stego-, -stega: ''Pronunciation'': /stɛgoʊ/, /stɛgə/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek στέγη ('). ''Meaning'': roof. Used for armoured or plated animals. *:Examples: ''

Stegosaurus ''Stegosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of herbivorous, four-legged, armored dinosaur from the Late Jurassic, characterized by the distinctive kite-shaped upright plates along their backs and spikes on their tails. Fossils of the genus have been fo ...

'' ("roofed lizard"); ''

'' ("roofed fish"); ''

'' ("spine roof") *strepto-: ''Pronunciation'': /streptoʊ/, /strepto/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek στρεπτός ('). ''Meaning'': twisted, bent. *:Examples:

Streptophyta Streptophyta (), informally the streptophytes (, from the Greek ''strepto'' 'twisted', for the morphology of the sperm of some members), is a clade of plants. The composition of the clade varies considerably between authors, but the definition e ...

("twisted plant"); ''

Streptococcus ''Streptococcus'' is a genus of gram-positive spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales (lactic acid bacteria), in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occurs along a sing ...

'' ("twisted granule"); ''

'' ("twisted vertebrae"); ''

Streptomyces ''Streptomyces'', from στρεπτός (''streptós''), meaning "twisted", and μύκης (''múkés''), meaning "fungus", is the largest genus of Actinomycetota, and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 700 species of ''St ...

'' ("twisted fungus") *-stoma, -stome, -stomus: ''Pronunciation'': /stoʊma/, /stoʊm/, /stoʊməs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek στόμα (''stóma''). ''Meaning'': mouth. *:Examples:

Deuterostomia Deuterostomes (from Ancient Greek, Greek: ) are bilaterian animals of the superphylum Deuterostomia (), typically characterized by their anus forming before the mouth during embryogenesis, embryonic development. Deuterostomia comprises three Phyl ...

("second mouth"); Gnathostoma ("jaw mouth"); ''

Anastomus The openbill storks or openbills are two species of stork (family Ciconiidae) in the genus ''Anastomus''. They are large wading birds characterized by large bills, the mandibles of which do not meet except at the tip. This feature develops only i ...

'' ("on mouth");

Cyclostomi Cyclostomi, often referred to as Cyclostomata , from Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos), meaning "circle", and στόμα (stóma), meaning "mouth", is a superclass of vertebrates that comprises the living jawless fish classes: the lamp ...

("circle mouth") *sucho-, -suchus: ''Pronunciation'': /sjuːkoʊ/, /sjuːkəs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek σούχος (''soúkhos''). ''Meaning:'': Originally the Ancient Greek name for the

Ancient Egyptian Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

crocodile-headed god,

Sobek Sobek (), also known as Suchus (), was an ancient Egyptian deities, ancient Egyptian deity with a complex and elastic history and nature. He is associated with the Nile crocodile and is often represented as a crocodile-headed humanoid, if not a ...

. Used to denote

crocodilians Crocodilia () is an order of semiaquatic, predatory reptiles that are known as crocodilians. They first appeared during the Late Cretaceous and are the closest living relatives of birds. Crocodilians are a type of crocodylomorph pseudosuchi ...

or crocodile-like animals. *:Examples: ''

'' ("terrible crocodile"); '' Anatosuchus'' ("duck crocodile"); ''

Suchomimus ''Suchomimus'', from Ancient Greek ''σούχος'' (''soúkhos''), meaning "crocodile", and Latin ''mimus'', meaning "actor", is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived between 125 and 112 million years ago in what is now Niger, North A ...

'' ("crocodile mimic"); '' Sarcosuchus'' ("flesh crocodile") *tauro-: /taərəs/. Origin: . ''Meaning'': bull. *:Examples: ''

Taurotragus ''Taurotragus'' is a genus of giant antelopes of the African savanna, commonly known as elands. It contains two species: the common eland ''T. oryx'' and the giant eland ''T. derbianus''. Taxonomy ''Taurotragus'' is a Genus (biology), genus ...

'' ("male goat-bull"); '' Taurovenator'' ("bull hunter"); ''

Carnotaurus ''Carnotaurus'' (; ) is a genus of Theropoda, theropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period, probably sometime between 72 and 69 million years ago. The only species is ''Carnotaurus sastrei''. Known from a si ...

'' ("meat bull") *-teuthis: ''Pronunciation'': /tjuːθɪs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek τευθίς (''teuthís''). ''Meaning:'' squid. Used for

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

s and similar

cephalopod A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan Taxonomic rank, class Cephalopoda (Greek language, Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral symm ...

s. *:Examples: '' Gonioteuthis'' ("narrow squid"); '' Architeuthis'' ("ruling squid"); ''

Vampyroteuthis The vampire squid (''Vampyroteuthis infernalis'', lit. 'vampire squid from hell') is a small cephalopod found throughout temperate and tropical oceans in extreme deep sea conditions. The vampire squid uses its Bioluminescence, bioluminescent orga ...

'' ("vampire squid"); ''

Cylindroteuthis ''Cylindroteuthis'' is a genus of belemnitida, belemnite that lived from the Early Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. Its fossils have been found in Asia, Europe, North America, and New Zealand. Taxonomical history ''Cylindroteuthis'' was first ...

'' ("cylindrical squid") *thalatto-. ''Pronunciation'': /θəlatoʊ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek θᾰ́λᾰττᾰ (''thalatta''). ''Meaning:'' sea. *:Examples: '' Thalattosaurus'' ("sea lizard"); ''

'' ("sea ruler"); '' Thalattosuchus'' ("sea crocodile"). *thero-, -therium. ''Pronunciation'': /θɛroʊ/, /θiːrɪəm/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek θηρίον (''theríon''). ''Meaning'': beast. Used for supposedly monstrous animals. The suffix "-therium" is often used to denote extinct

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s. *:Examples:

theropod Theropoda (; from ancient Greek , (''therion'') "wild beast"; , (''pous, podos'') "foot"">wiktionary:ποδός"> (''pous, podos'') "foot" is one of the three major groups (clades) of dinosaurs, alongside Ornithischia and Sauropodom ...

("beast foot"), ''

Deinotherium ''Deinotherium'' (from Ancient Greek , ''()'', meaning "terrible", and ''()'', meaning "beast"), is an extinct genus of large, elephant-like proboscideans that lived from the middle-Miocene until the end of the Early Pleistocene. Although its ap ...

'' ("terrible beast"); ''

Megatherium ''Megatherium'' ( ; from Greek () 'great' + () 'beast') is an extinct genus of ground sloths endemic to South America that lived from the Early Pliocene through the end of the Late Pleistocene. It is best known for the elephant-sized type spe ...

'' ("big beast"); '' Brontotherium'' ("thunder beast"); ''

Uintatherium ''Uintatherium'' ("Beast of the Uinta Mountains") is an extinct genus of herbivorous dinoceratan mammal that lived during the Eocene epoch. Two species are currently recognized: ''U. anceps'' from the United States during the Early to Middle Eoc ...

'' ("beast from the

Uinta Mountains The Uinta Mountains ( ) are an east-west trending mountain range in northeastern Utah extending a short distance into northwest Colorado and slightly into southwestern Wyoming in the United States. As a subrange of the Rocky Mountains, they are u ...

"); '' Anthracotherium'' ("coal beast"); '' Nototherium'' ("southern beast"); *thylac-: ''Pronunciation'': /θaɪlæk/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek θύλακος (''thúlakos''). ''Meaning'': a sack. In the sense of "pouch", used for

marsupials Marsupials are a diverse group of mammals belonging to the infraclass Marsupialia. They are natively found in Australasia, Wallacea, and the Americas. One of marsupials' unique features is their reproductive strategy: the young are born in a ...

. *:Examples:

Thylacine The thylacine (; binomial name ''Thylacinus cynocephalus''), also commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf, was a carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmani ...

("pouched one"); '' Thylacoleo'' ("pouched lion"); '' Thylacosmilus'' ("pouched knife") *tri-: ''Pronunciation'': /traɪ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek τρία (''tría''). ''Meaning'': three. *:Examples: ''

'' ("three-horned face"); '' Triconodon'' ("three coned teeth");

Trilobita Trilobites (; meaning "three-lobed entities") are extinction, extinct marine arthropods that form the class (biology), class Trilobita. One of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, trilobites were among the most succ ...

("three lobes"); ''

'' ("three eyes") *titano-, -titan: ''Pronunciation'': /taɪtænoʊ/, /taɪtən/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek Τιτάν, Τιτᾶνος (''Titán'', ''Titânos''). ''Meaning'':

Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

, of the Titan, respectively. Used for large animals. *:Examples: ''

Titanosaurus ''Titanosaurus'' (; ) is a dubious genus of sauropod dinosaurs, first described by Richard Lydekker in 1877.R. Lydekker. (1877). Notices of new and other Vertebrata from Indian Tertiary and Secondary rocks. ''Records of the Geological Survey of ...

'' ("Titan lizard"); ''

Giraffatitan ''Giraffatitan'' (name meaning "titanic giraffe") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic Period (geology), Period (Kimmeridgian–Tithonian stages) in what is now Lindi Region, Tanzania. Only one species is known, ...

'' ("giraffe Titan"); '' Anatotitan'' ("duck Titan"); '' Titanotherium'' ("Titan beast"); '' Titanoboa'' ("Titanic boa") *tyranno-, -tyrannus: ''Pronunciation'': /taɪrænoʊ/, /taɪrænəs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek τύραννος (''túrannos''). ''Meaning'': tyrant. Used for animals similar to ''

''. *:Examples: ''

Zhuchengtyrannus ''Zhuchengtyrannus'' (meaning "Zhucheng tyrant") is a genus of Tyrannosauridae, tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur known from the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous of Shandong Province, China. It belongs to the subfamily Tyrannosaurinae, and co ...

'' ("tyrant from

Zhucheng Zhucheng () is a county-level city in the southeast of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Weifang city and had at the 2010 census a population of 1,086,222 even though its built-up (''or metro'') area ...

"); ''

'' ("tyrant lizard"); ''

Nanotyrannus ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It live ...

'' ("dwarf tyrant"); '' Tyrannotitan'' ("Titanic tyrant"); '' Sinotyrannus'' ("Chinese tyrant"); '' Suskityrannus'' ("coyote tyrant") *-urus, -uro-: ''Pronunciation'': /uːrəs/, /uːroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''ourá''). ''Meaning'': tail. *:Examples: ''

Dasyurus Quolls (; genus ''Dasyurus'') are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal, and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. Anot ...

'' ("hairy tail"); Coelurosauria ("hollow tail lizards"); ''Uromastyx'' ("tail scourge") *veloci-: ''Pronunciation'': /vəlɑsɪ/. ''Origin'': Latin ''velox''. ''Meaning'': speed. *:Example: ''

'' ("speedy thief"); ''Velocisaurus'' ("speedy lizard") *-venator: ''Pronunciation'': /vɛnətər/. ''Origin'': Latin ''venator''. ''Meaning'': hunter. *:Examples: '' Afrovenator'' ("African hunter"); ''Juravenator'' ("hunter from the Jura Mountains"); ''Scorpiovenator'' ("scorpion hunter"); ''Neovenator'' ("new hunter"); ''Concavenator'' ("hunter of Province of Cuenca, Cuenca") *xeno-: ''Pronunciation'': /zinoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ξένος (''xénos''). ''Meaning'': strange, stranger. Used for organisms that exhibit unusual traits for their class. *:Examples: '' Xenosmilus'' ("strange knife"); ''Xenotarsosaurus'' ("strange ankled lizard"); ''

'' ("strange parrot"); ''Xenocyon'' ("strange dog"); ''Xenokeryx'' ("strange horn"); ''Xenostega'' ("strange roof"); ''Xenohyla'' ("strange hynadae"); ''Xenozancla'' ("strange animal"); ''Xenodermus'' ("strange skin") *-zoon, -zoa: ''Pronunciation'': /zoʊɑːn/, /zoʊə/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ζῷον (''zōion''). ''Meaning'': animal. Used for broad categories of animals, or in certain names of animals. *:Examples: Metazoa ("encompassing animals"); Parazoa ("near animals"); Ecdysozoa ("moulting animals"); ''Yunnanozoon'' ("animal from Yunnan"); ''Yuyuanozoon'' ("animal from Yu Yuan"); ''Hydrozoa'' ("water animals")

See also