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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 ''Acanthodes'' (from , 'provided with spines') is an extinct genus of acanthodian fish. Species have been found in Europe, North America, and Asia, spanning the Early Carboniferous to the Early Permian, making it one of the youngest known acanth ...
'' ("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 ''Metriacanthosaurus'' (meaning "moderately-spined lizard") is a genus of metriacanthosaurid dinosaur from the Oxford Clay Formation of England, dating to the Late Jurassic period, about 160 million years ago (lower Oxfordian). It is the only n ...
'' ("moderately-spined lizard"); ''
Holacanthus ''Holacanthus'', from Ancient Greek ὅλος (''hólos''), meaning "full", and ἄκανθα (''ákantha''), meaning "spine", is a genus of marine angelfishes (family Pomacanthidae). The eight species are particularly abundant near igneous rock, ...
'' ("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 ''Afrovenator'' (; "African hunter") is a genus of megalosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Middle or Late Jurassic Period on the Tiourarén Formation and maybe the Irhazer II Formation of the Niger Sahara region in Western Africa. ''Afrove ...
'' (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 ''Phascolarctos'' is a genus of marsupials with one extant species, the koala '' Phascolarctos cinereus'', an iconic animal of Australia. Several extinct species of the genus are known from fossil material, these were also large tree dwellers tha ...
'' ("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 An exoskeleton () . is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the internal organs, in contrast to an internal endoskeleton (e.g. that of a human) wh ...
. *: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 ''Cephalaspis'' (from , 'head' and , 'shield') is a possibly monotypic genus of extinct osteostracan agnathan vertebrate. It was a trout-sized detritivorous fish that lived in the early Devonian. Description Like its relatives, ''Cephalaspi ...
'' ("head shield"); ''
Sacabambaspis ''Sacabambaspis'' is an extinct genus of jawless fish that lived in the Ordovician period. ''Sacabambaspis'' lived in shallow waters on the continental margins of Gondwana. It is the best known arandaspid with many specimens known. Description ...
'' ("shield from
Sacabamba Sacabamba () is a town in the Cochabamba Department in central Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast A ...
"); ''
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 ''Coelurosauravus'' (meaning "hollow-tailed lizard grandfather") is an extinct genus of gliding reptile, known from the Late Permian of Madagascar. Like other members of the family Weigeltisauridae, members of this genus possessed long, rod-like ...
'' (" hollow lizard grandfather"); ''
Plateosauravus ''Plateosauravus'' ("grandfather of ''Plateosaurus''") is a basal plateosaurian of uncertain affinities from the Late Triassic Elliot Formation of South Africa. Sidney Haughton named ''Plateosaurus cullingworthi'' in 1924 from a partial skelet ...
'' ("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 ''Protoavis'' (meaning "first bird") is a problematic taxon known from fragmentary remains from Late Triassic Norian stage deposits near Post, Texas. The animal's true classification has been the subject of much controversy, and there are many ...
'' ("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 ''Eoalulavis'' (from the Ancient Greek: ''Éōs'', "dawn"; ''alula'', "bastard wing"; ''avis'', "bird") is a monotypic genus of enantiornithean bird that lived during the Barremian, in the Lower Cretaceous around 125 million years ago. The only ...
'' ("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 ''Dendrobates'' is a genus of poison dart frogs native to Central and South America. It once contained numerous species, but most originally placed in this genus have been split off into other genera such as '' Adelphobates'', '' Ameerega'', '' ...
'' ("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 ''Brachyceratops'' ('short horned face') is a dubious genus of ceratopsian dinosaur known only from partial juvenile specimens dating to the late Cretaceous Period of Montana, United States. ''Brachyceratops'' has historically been known from j ...
'' ("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 ''Megacerops'' ("large-horned face", from '' méga-'' "large" + '' kéras'' "horn" + '' ōps'' "face") is an extinct genus of the prehistoric odd-toed ungulate (hoofed mammal) family Brontotheriidae, an extinct group of rhinoceros-like browsers ...
'' ("thunder beast"), ''
Brontoscorpio ''Brontoscorpio'' is an extinct genus of possible scorpion that lived in the Early Devonian. Remains of the only known species, ''Brontoscorpio anglicus'', were discovered in the St. Maughan's Formation, Lochkovian-aged (previously also consider ...
'' ("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 ''Carcharodon'' (meaning "jagged/sharp tooth" in Ancient Greek) is a genus of sharks within the family Lamnidae, colloquially called the "white sharks." The only extant member is the great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''). Extinct species ...
'' ("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 ''Carcharodontosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of large carnivorous theropod dinosaur that lived in Northwest Africa from about 100 to 94 million years ago during the Cenomanian age of the Cretaceous. Two teeth of the genus, now lost, were first des ...
'' ("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 ''Amtocephale'' is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur from early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Coniacian stages) deposits of southern Gobi Desert, Mongolia. ''Amtocephale'' is known from the holotype MPC-D 100/1203, a nearly complete f ...
'' ("head from Amtgai"); ''
Therocephalian Therocephalia is an extinct clade of therapsids (mammals and their close extinct relatives) from the Permian and Triassic periods. The therocephalians ("beast-heads") are named after their large skulls, which, along with the structure of their te ...
'' ("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 ''Microceratops'' may refer to: * ''Microceratops'' Seyrig, 1952, an invalid junior synonym of ''Neopimpla ''Neopimpla'' is a genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the bio ...
'' ("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 ''Albertoceras'' is a genus of Early Ordovician ellesmeroceratids with a small, slender, orthoconic to slightly endogastric shell; some even tiny. The cross section is strongly compressed so as to make the height proportionally notably greater ...
'' ("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 ''Buceros'', from Ancient Greek βοῦς (''boûs''), meaning "ox", and κέρας (''kéras''), meaning "horn", is a genus of large Asian hornbills (family Bucerotidae). Description Hornbills in the genus ''Buceros'' include some of the larges ...
'' ("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 ''Peregocetus'' is a genus of early whale that lived in what is now Peru during the Middle Eocene epoch. Its fossil was uncovered in 2011 in the Yumaque Member ( Paracas Formation) of the Pisco Basin at Playa Media Luna by a team consisting of ...
'' ("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 ''Choeroichthys'' is a genus of pipefishes of the family Syngnathidae native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Etymology The genus name is derived from the Greek meaning "a pig" and meaning "fish". Species There are currently six recognize ...
'' ("pig-fish"); ''
Choerophryne ''Choerophryne'' is a genus of microhylid frogs, commonly known as Torricelli mountain frogs, endemic to New Guinea. These frogs are small, with the body length measured from snout to vent between 11 and 23 mm. Taxonomy and systematics The ...
'' ("frog pig"); ''
Choerodon ''Choerodon'' is a genus of wrasses native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. They originated in the Miocene, when the Australian and Eurasian Plates collided. They are commonly referred to as tuskfish, because most species have s ...
'' ("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:
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"); ''
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"); ''
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") *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 ''Cyclomedusa'' is a circular fossil of the Ediacaran biota; it has a circular bump in the middle and as many as five circular growth ridges around it. Many specimens are small, but specimens in excess of 20 cm are known. The concentric d ...
'' ("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 ''Cynopterus'' (Latin meaning: ״flying dog״) is a genus of megabats. The cynopterine section is represented by 11 genera,Andersen K. 1912. Catalogue of the chiroptera in the collection of the British Museum. Second edition, British Museum of N ...
'' ("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 The Philippine flying lemur or Philippine colugo (''Cynocephalus volans''), known locally as ''kagwang'', is one of two species of colugo or "flying lemurs". It is monotypic of its genus. Although it is called "flying lemur", the Philippine fl ...
'' ("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 ''Ctenodactylus'', from Ancient Greek κτείς (''kteís''), meaning "comb", and δάκτυλος (''dáktulos''), meaning "finger", is a genus of rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodent ...
'' ("comb finger") * -deres: ''Origin'': (''dére''). ''Meaning'': neck, collar. *:Examples: ''
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") *-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 ''Didelphodon'' (from ''is''/nowiki>">/nowiki>''is''/nowiki> "opossum" tooth "tooth") is a genus of extinct metatherian mammal from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Description Although perhaps little larger than a Virginia opossum, wit ...
'' ("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'' ("rose tree"); ''Liriodendron'' ("lily tree"); ''Dendrocnide'' ("tree nettle"); ''Epidendrum'' ("above tree"); ''Lepidodendron'' ("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 The giant moa (''Dinornis'') is an extinct genus of birds belonging to the moa family. As with other moa, it was a member of the order Dinornithiformes. It was endemic to New Zealand. Two species of ''Dinornis'' are considered valid, the Nort ...
'' ("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"), ''
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"); ''
Dinodocus ''Dinodocus'' (meaning "terrible beam") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur, named by Richard Owen in 1884. The name is now usually considered a ''nomen dubium''. The only species, ''D. mackesoni'', a name given to some fossil bones from the Lower ...
'' ("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 ''Deinococcus'' (from the , ''deinos'', "dreadful, strange" and κόκκος, ''kókkos'', "granule") is in the formerly monotypic family Deinococcaceae, and one genus of three in the order Deinococcales of the bacterial phylum '' Deinococcota'' ...
'' ("terrible grannule");
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") * 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 ''Phosphatodraco'' is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous of what is now Morocco. In 2000, a pterosaur specimen consisting of five Cervical vertebrae, cervical (neck) vertebrae was discovered in the Ouled Abdou ...
'' ("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'' ("creeper from Hyner, Pennsylvania, Hyner"); ''Greererpeton'' ("creeper from Greer"); ''Arizonerpeton'' ("creeper from Arizona"); ''Albanerpeton'' ("creeper of La Grive Saint Alban") *eu-: ''Pronunciation'': /iːu̟/. ''Origin'': (''eû''). ''Meaning'': "good", "well"; also extended via Neo-Latin 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'' ("good one of W.K. Parker, Parker's"); ''Euhelopus'' ("good marsh foot"); ''Eustreptospondylus'' ("well-curved vertebrae"); ''Eucoelophysis'' ("truly hollow form") *-felis: ''Pronunciation'': /fiːlɪs/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': cat. "''Felis''" alone is the genus name for the group that includes the domestic cat. *:Examples: ''
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"); ''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 ("chicken form"); Anseriformes ("goose form"); Squaliformes ("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'' ("giant southern lizard"); ''Gigantopithecus'' ("giant ape"); ''Gigantoraptor'' ("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"); ''
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"); ''Compsognathus'' ("elegant jaw"); ''Gnathosaurus'' ("jaw lizard"); Gnathostomata ("jaw mouth"); Entognatha ("inner jaw") *haplo-: ''Pronunciation'': /hæplə/. ''Origin'': (''haplós''). ''Meaning:'' simple. *:Examples: ''Haplorhini'' ("simple-nosed"); ''
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") *hemi-: ''Pronunciation'': /hɛmi/. ''Origin'': (''hēmi-''). ''Meaning:'' half. *:Examples: ''Hemicyon'' ("half-dog"); hemichordate ("half-chordate"); Hemiptera ("half-wing") *hespero-: ''Pronunciation'': /hɛspəroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''hésperos''). ''Meaning'': western (originally, "evening"). *:Examples: ''Hesperornis'' ("western bird"); ''Hesperocyon'' ("western dog"); ''Hesperosaurus'' ("western lizard") * hippus, hippo-: Pronunciation: /hɪpəs/, /hɪpoʊ/. ''Origin'': (''híppos''). ''Meaning'': horse. *: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"); ''Hippodraco'' ("horse dragon"); ''Hippopotamus'' ("river horse"); ''Seahorse, Hippocampus'' ("sea-monster horse"); ''Hippophae'' ("horse light") *hyl-, hylo-: ''Pronunciation'': /haɪl/, /haɪloʊ/ (or /haɪlɒ/). ''Origin'': ("húlē"). ''Meaning:'' wood, forest. *:Examples: ''Hylonomus'' ("forest dweller"); ''
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 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'' ("for Dickinson"); ''Cooksonia'' ("for Isabel Clifton Cookson, Cookson"); ''Coloradia'' ("for Colorado"); ''Edmontonia'' ("for Edmonton"); ''Thomashuxleya'' ("for Thomas Huxley") *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'' ("fish lizard"); ''Leedsichthys'' ("fish from Leeds"); ''Haikouichthys'' ("fish from Haikou"); ''Ichthyostega'' ("fish roof"); Osteichthyes ("bony fish"); Chondrichthyes ("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'' ("spotted lion"); ''Leontopodium'' ("lion foot"); ''Leontopithecus'' ("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 ("scaled lizards"); Lepidoptera ("scaled wing"); ''Lepidodendron'' ("scaled tree") *-lestes: ''Pronunciation'': /lɛstiːz/. ''Origin'': ('')''. ''Meaning'': robber. *:Examples: ''Carpolestes'' ("fruit robber"); ''Ornitholestes'' ("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. *:Examples: ''Mei long'' ("sleeping dragon"); ''Bolong'' ("small dragon"); ''Zuolong'' ("dragon of Zuo Zongtang, 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: ''
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"); ''
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"); ''Saurolophus'' ("lizard crest"); ''Teinolophos'' ("extended crest") * lyco-: ''Pronunciation'': /lɪkoʊ/. ''Origin'': ('). ''Meaning'': wolf. *:Examples: ''Lycopodium'' ("wolf foot"); ''Lycodon'' ("wolf tooth"); ''Lycoperdon'' ("wolf fart") *macro-: ''Pronunciation'': /mækroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''makrós''). ''Meaning'': (correctly) long; (usually) large. *:Examples: Macropodidae, macropod ("big foot"); ''Macrodontophion'' ("big tooth snake"); ''Macrogryphosaurus'' ("big enigmatic lizard") *-maia, maia-: ''Pronunciation'': /meiə/ ''Origin'': (''Maîa''). ''Meaning'': Originally the Maia (mythology), 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"); ''
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"); ''Juramaia'' ("Jurassic period, Jurassic Maia"); ''Maiacetus'' ("mother whale") *mega-, megalo-: ''Pronunciation'': /mɛga/, /mɛgaloʊ̯/. ''Origin'': (''mégas, megálē''). ''Meaning'': big/great. *:Examples: ''Megarachne'' ("great spider"); ''Megalosaurus'' ("great lizard"); ''megalodon'' ("great tooth") *micro-: ''Pronunciation'': /maɪkroʊ̯/. ''Origin'': (''mikrós''). ''Meaning'': "small". *:Examples: ''Microraptor'' ("small thief"); ''Microvenator'' ("small hunter"); ''
Microceratops ''Microceratops'' may refer to: * ''Microceratops'' Seyrig, 1952, an invalid junior synonym of ''Neopimpla ''Neopimpla'' is a genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the bio ...
'' ("small horned face") *mimo-, -mimus: /maɪmoʊ̯/, /maɪməs/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': actor. Used for creatures that resemble others. *:Examples: ''Struthiomimus''; ("ostrich mimic"); ''Ornithomimus'' ("bird mimic"); ''Gallimimus'' ("chicken mimic"); Ornithomimosauria ("bird mimic lizard") * -monas, -monad: ''Pronunciation'': /moʊnas/, /monas/, /moʊnad/, /monad/. ''Origin'': (''monás''). ''Meaning'': unit. Used for single-celled organisms. *:Examples: ''Chlamydomonas'' ("cloak unit"); ''Pseudomonas'' ("false unit"); Metamonad ("encompassing unit") *-morph: ''Pronunciation'': /moʊrf/. ''Origin'': (''morphḗ''). ''Meaning'': form, shape. Used for large groups of animals which share a common genetic lineage *:Examples: Crocodylomorpha ("crocodile form"); Sauropodomorpha ("sauropod form"); Muscomorpha ("fly (insect), fly form"); ''Dimorphodon'' ("two shaped teeth") *-nax, -anax-: ''Pronunciation'': /nax/, /ænax/. ''Origin:'' (''ánax''). ''Meaning'': king. *:Examples: ''Lythronax'' ("gore lord"); ''Saurophaganax'' ("lizard eating lord") *-noto-: ''Pronunciation'': /notoʊ/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': south, southern wind. Used for organisms found in the Southern Hemisphere. *:Examples: ''Giganotosaurus'' ("giant southern lizard"); ''Notosuchus'' ("southern crocodile"); Notopalaeognathae ("southern old jaws") *-nych, nycho-, -nyx: see #onych, -onych, onycho-, -onyx. *-odon, -odont, -odonto-, -odus: ''Pronunciation'': /oʊdɒn/, /oʊdɒnt/, /oʊdɒntoʊ/, /oʊdəs/. ''Origin'': (''odoús'', ''odontos''). ''Meaning'': tooth, of a tooth, respectively. *:Examples: ''Dimetrodon'' ("two-measures of teeth"), cynodont ("dog tooth"); ''
Carcharodontosaurus ''Carcharodontosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of large carnivorous theropod dinosaur that lived in Northwest Africa from about 100 to 94 million years ago during the Cenomanian age of the Cretaceous. Two teeth of the genus, now lost, were first des ...
'' ("shark tooth lizard"), ''Otodus'' ("ear tooth"), ''
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"); ''Tetraodon'' ("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'' ("like silver") *onycho-, -onychus, -onyx: /ɒnikoʊ/, /ɒnikəs/ (or /ɒnaɪkoʊ/, ɒnaɪkəs/), /ɒniks/. ''Origin'': (''ónux''). ''Meaning'': claw. *:Examples: ''
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"); ''Euronychodon'' ("European claw tooth"); ''Nothronychus'' ("sloth claw"), ''Baryonyx'' ("heavy claw") *ophi-: ''Pronunciation'': /ɒfɪs/. ''Origin'': (''óphis''). ''Meaning'': snake. Used for Ophidia or snake-like animals. *:Examples: ''Ophiacodon'' ("snake tooth"); ''Ophisaurus'' ("snake lizard"); ''Ophiopogon'' ("snake beard") *-ops: ''Pronunciation'': /ɒps/. ''Origin'': (''óps''). ''Meaning'': face, eye. *:Examples: ''
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"); ''Lycaenops'' ("wolf face"); ''Moschops'' ("calf face"); ''Spinops'' ("spine face"); ''Triops'' ("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 ("bird-hipped"); ''
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"); ''Eoconfuciusornis'' ("dawn bird of Confucius") *orth-, ortho-: ''Pronunciation'': /oʊ̯rθ/, /oʊ̯rθoʊ̯/. ''Origin'': (''órthos''). ''Meaning'': straight. *:Examples: Orthocone ("straight cone"); ''
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"); ''Orthacanthus'' ("straight spine") *pachy-: ''Pronunciation'': /pæki/ ''Origin'': (''pakhús''). ''Meaning'': thick. *:Examples: ''
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"); ''Pachylemur'' ("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'' ("near fluted tooth"); ''Parasaurolophus'' ("near lizard crest") * -pelta: ''Pronunciation'': /Help:IPA/English, pɛltə:/ ''Origin'': (''péltē''). ''Meaning'': shield. Frequently used for ankylosaurs. *:Examples: ''Sauropelta'' ("lizard shield"); ''Dracopelta'' ("dragon shield"); ''Cedarpelta'' ("shield from the Cedar Mountain Formation, 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: ''Saurophaganax'' ("lord of the lizard-eaters"); ''King cobra, Ophiophagus'' ("snake-eating"); ''Myrmecophaga'' ("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'' ("dew-loving");
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"); ''Philodendron'' ("loving trees") *-phyton, -phyta, phyto-, -phyte: ''Pronunciation'': /faɪtən/, /faitə/, /faɪtoʊ/, /faɪt/. ''Origin'': (''phutón''). ''Meaning'': plant. *:Examples: ''Spermatophyte, Spermatophyta'' ("seed plant"); Rhyniophyte ("plant of the Rhynie chert"); ''Phytophthora'' ("plant destroyer"); ''Phytolacca'' ("plant Lac (resin), lac") *-pithecus, pitheco-: ''Pronunciation'': /piθəkəs/, /piθəkoʊ/, //piθəkə/. ''Origin'': (''píthēkos''). ''Meaning'': ape, monkey. *:Examples: ''Australopithecus'' ("southern ape"); ''Ardipithecus'' ("floor ape"); ''Gigantopithecus'' ("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: ''Flatworm, Platyhelminthes'' ("flat worm"); ''Platybelodon'' ("flat spear-tusk"); ''Platycodon'' ("flat bell"); Platypus ("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'' ("near lizard"); ''Plesiorycteropus'' ("near aardvark"); ''Plesiobaena'' ("near ''Baena''"); ''Plesiadapis'' ("near ''Adapis''") *-pod, podo-, -pus: ''Pronunciation'': /pɒd/, /pɒdoʊ/, /pʊs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πούς, ποδός (''poús, podós''). Meaning: foot, of the foot, respectively. *:Examples: Ornithopod ("bird foot"); ''Brachypodosaurus'' ("short footed lizard"); ''Moropus'' ("slow foot"); ''Octopus'' ("eight foot"); Platypus ("flat foot"); ''Orycteropus'' ("burrowing foot"); Decapoda ("ten foot") *-prion: ''Pronunciation'': /prɪɒn/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πριὢν. Meaning: saw. *: Examples: ''Helicoprion'' ("spiral saw"); ''Ornithoprion'' ("bird saw"); ''Onychoprion'' ("claw saw"); ''Suchoprion'' ("crocodile saw"). Prion (bird), Prions are a subfamily of saw-beaked petrels. *pro-, protero-: ''pronunciation:'' /proʊ̯/, /proʊ̯tεroʊ̯/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πρό, πρότερος (''pró, próteros''). Meaning: before. Usually used for ancestral forms. *:Examples: ''Proterosuchus'' ("early crocodile"); ''Procompsognathus'' ("early elegant jaw"); ''Prosaurolophus'' ("early lizard crest") *proto-: ''Pronunciation'': /proʊtoʊ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek πρῶτος (''prōtos''). Meaning: first. Used for early appearances in the fossil record. *:Examples: ''Protoceratops'' ("first horned face"); ''Protognathosaurus'' ("first jaw lizard"); ''Protohadros'' ("first hadrosaur") *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'' ("parrot lizard"); ''Cyclopsitta'' ("Cyclops parrot"); ''Xenopsitta'' ("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. The suffix "-ptera" is also used in orders of winged insects. *:Examples: ''Bolivaria brachyptera'' ("short winged mantis"); ''
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 ...
'' ("toothless wing"); ''
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 ...
'' ("winged finger"); ''Eurypterus'' ("wide wing" or fin); ''Pterygotus'' ("winged" or finned); Coleoptera ("sheathed wing"); ''
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"); ''Stenopterygius'' ("narrow finned"); Lepidoptera ("scaled wing");
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"); Dermoptera ("skin wing") *-pus: see #pod, -pod, -podo-, -pus. *-raptor, raptor-: ''Pronunciation'': /ræptər/. ''Origin'': Latin raptor. ''Meaning'': "robber, thief". Frequently used for dromeosaurid, dromaeosaurids or similar animals. The term "raptor" by itself may also be used for a dromeosaurid, a ''Velociraptor'', or originally, a bird of prey. *:Examples: ''Velociraptor'' ("speedy thief"); ''Utahraptor'' ("thief from Utah"); ''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'' ("tyrant lizard king") * -rhina, rhino-, -rhinus: ''Pronunciation'': /raɪnə/ /raɪnoʊ̯/, /raɪnəs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ῥίς (''rhís''). ''Meaning'': nose. *:Examples: ''Altirhinus'' ("high nose"); ''Pachyrhinosaurus'' ("thick-nosed lizard"); ''Lycorhinus'' ("wolf nose"); ''Arrhinoceratops'' ("noseless horned face"); ''Cretoxyrhina'' ("Cretaceous sharp nose"); ''Rhinoceros'' ("nose horn") * rhodo-: ''Pronunciation'': /roʊdoʊ/, /rodoʊ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ῥόδον (''rhódon''). ''Meaning'': "rose". Used for red-colored or otherwise rose-like organisms. *:Examples: ''Rhododendron'' ("rose tree"); ''Red algae, Rhodophyta'' ("rose plant"); ''Rhodomonas'' ("rose unit") *rhynco-, -rhynchus: ''Pronunciation'': /rɪnkoʊ/, /rɪnkəs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek ῥύγχος (''rhúnkhos''). ''Meaning'': "beak", "snout". *:Examples: ''Rhamphorhynchus'' ("beak snout"); ''Aspidorhynchus'' ("shield snout"); ''Ornithorhynchus'' ("bird snout"); ''rhynchosaur'' ("beaked lizard"); ''Rhynchocephalia'' ("beaked head"); ''Oncorhynchus'' ("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 ("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 ("terrible lizard"); Mososaur, Mosasaur ("lizard from the Meuse River"), ''Tyrannosaurus'' ("tyrant lizard"), ''Allosaurus'' ("other lizard"), ''Sauroposeidon'' ("lizard of Poseidon"), ''Maiasaura'' ("Maia, caring mother lizard"), ''Bonitasaura'' ("lizard from La Bonita"), ''Pleurosaurus'' ("rib lizard") *sin-, sino-: ''Pronunciation''; /sɪn/, /saɪnoʊ̯/. ''Origin'': . ''Meaning'': from China. *:Examples: ''Sinornithosaurus''; ("Chinese bird-lizard"); ''Sinosauropteryx'' ("Chinese lizard wing"); ''Sinoceratops'' ("Chinese horned face"); ''Sinraptor'' ("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'' ("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'' ("spine lizard") *-spondylus: Pronunciation: /spɒndələs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek σπόνδυλος ('). ''Meaning'': vertebra. *:Examples: ''Streptospondylus'' ("curved vertebrae"); ''Massospondylus'' ("massive vertebrae"); ''Bothriospondylus'' ("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"); ''Squaliformes'' ("shark form"); ''Squalicorax'' ("shark raven"); ''Squalomorphi'' ("shark shape") *stego-, -stega: ''Pronunciation'': /stɛgoʊ/, /stɛgə/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek στέγη ('). ''Meaning'': roof. Used for armoured or plated animals. *:Examples: ''Stegosaurus'' ("roofed lizard"); ''Ichthyostega'' ("roofed fish"); ''
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") *strepto-: ''Pronunciation'': /streptoʊ/, /strepto/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek στρεπτός ('). ''Meaning'': twisted, bent. *:Examples: Streptophyta ("twisted plant"); ''Streptococcus'' ("twisted granule"); ''Streptospondylus'' ("twisted vertebrae"); ''Streptomyces'' ("twisted fungus") *-stoma, -stome, -stomus: ''Pronunciation'': /stoʊma/, /stoʊm/, /stoʊməs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek στόμα (''stóma''). ''Meaning'': mouth. *:Examples: Deuterostomia ("second mouth"); Gnathostoma ("jaw mouth"); ''Anastomus'' ("on mouth"); Cyclostomi ("circle mouth") *sucho-, -suchus: ''Pronunciation'': /sjuːkoʊ/, /sjuːkəs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek σούχος (''soúkhos''). ''Meaning:'': Originally the Ancient Greek name for the Ancient Egyptian crocodile-headed god, Sobek. Used to denote crocodilians or crocodile-like animals. *:Examples: ''
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"); ''Anatosuchus'' ("duck crocodile"); ''Suchomimus'' ("crocodile mimic"); ''Sarcosuchus'' ("flesh crocodile") *tauro-: /taərəs/. Origin: . ''Meaning'': bull. *:Examples: ''Taurotragus'' ("male goat-bull"); ''Taurovenator'' ("bull hunter"); ''Carnotaurus'' ("meat bull") *-teuthis: ''Pronunciation'': /tjuːθɪs/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek τευθίς (''teuthís''). ''Meaning:'' squid. Used for squids and similar cephalopods. *:Examples: ''Gonioteuthis'' ("narrow squid"); '' Architeuthis'' ("ruling squid"); ''Vampyroteuthis'' ("vampire squid"); ''Cylindroteuthis'' ("cylindrical squid") *thalatto-. ''Pronunciation'': /θəlatoʊ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek θᾰ́λᾰττᾰ (''thalatta''). ''Meaning:'' sea. *:Examples: ''Thalattosaurus'' ("sea lizard"); ''
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"); ''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 mammals. *:Examples: theropod ("beast foot"), ''Deinotherium'' ("terrible beast"); ''Megatherium'' ("big beast"); ''
Brontotherium ''Megacerops'' ("large-horned face", from '' méga-'' "large" + '' kéras'' "horn" + '' ōps'' "face") is an extinct genus of the prehistoric odd-toed ungulate (hoofed mammal) family Brontotheriidae, an extinct group of rhinoceros-like browsers ...
'' ("thunder beast"); ''Uintatherium'' ("beast from the Uinta Mountains"); ''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. *:Examples: Thylacine ("pouched one"); ''Thylacoleo'' ("pouched lion"); ''Thylacosmilus'' ("pouched knife") *tri-: ''Pronunciation'': /traɪ/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek τρία (''tría''). ''Meaning'': three. *:Examples: ''
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"); ''Triconodon'' ("three coned teeth"); Trilobita ("three lobes"); ''Triops'' ("three eyes") *titano-, -titan: ''Pronunciation'': /taɪtænoʊ/, /taɪtən/. ''Origin'': Ancient Greek Τιτάν, Τιτᾶνος (''Titán'', ''Titânos''). ''Meaning'': Titan (mythology), Titan, of the Titan, respectively. Used for large animals. *:Examples: ''Titanosaurus'' ("Titan lizard"); ''Giraffatitan'' ("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 ''Tyrannosaurus''. *:Examples: ''Zhuchengtyrannus'' ("tyrant from Zhucheng"); ''Tyrannosaurus'' ("tyrant lizard"); ''Nanotyrannus'' ("dwarf tyrant"); ''Tyrannotitan'' ("Titanic tyrant"); ''Sinotyrannus'' ("Chinese tyrant"); ''Suskityrannus'' ("coyote tyrant") *-urus, -uro-: ''Pronunciation'': /uːrəs/, /uːroʊ/. ''Origin'': (''ourá''). ''Meaning'': tail. *:Examples: ''Dasyurus'' ("hairy tail"); Coelurosauria ("hollow tail lizards"); ''Uromastyx'' ("tail scourge") *veloci-: ''Pronunciation'': /vəlɑsɪ/. ''Origin'': Latin ''velox''. ''Meaning'': speed. *:Example: ''Velociraptor'' ("speedy thief"); ''Velocisaurus'' ("speedy lizard") *-venator: ''Pronunciation'': /vɛnətər/. ''Origin'': Latin ''venator''. ''Meaning'': hunter. *:Examples: ''
Afrovenator ''Afrovenator'' (; "African hunter") is a genus of megalosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Middle or Late Jurassic Period on the Tiourarén Formation and maybe the Irhazer II Formation of the Niger Sahara region in Western Africa. ''Afrove ...
'' ("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"); ''Xenopsitta'' ("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

*List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names *List of Greek and Latin roots in English *List of Latin words with English derivatives *List of medical roots, suffixes and prefixes *Latin names of cities {{DEFAULTSORT:Taxonomic affixes Lists of words, Taxonomic affixes Paleontology lists