plesiosaurus

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a marine reptile of the extinct genus Plesiosaurus, with a small head, long neck, broad body, and four paddle-shaped limbs

   The museum displayed a nearly complete plesiosaurus skeleton from Early Jurassic rock.

From the scientific genus name Plesiosaurus, coined from Ancient Greek plesios ("nearer") + sauros ("lizard"). The name reflected early anatomists' view that the animal was closer than ichthyosaurs were to ordinary reptiles.

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