Order Stereospondyli (Noun)
Meaning
Formerly a suborder of Stegocephalia; amphibia having vertebrae whose component elements are fused into a single piece; "most vertebrates are stereospondylous".
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Order stereospondyli now includes both the metoposaurs and rhytidosteids as families within this specific subclass of temnospondyls.
- A large proportion of the early temnospondyls were found to belong to the former order stereospondyli, which shares the characteristic of fused vertebrae.
- Historically the order stereospondyli consisted of several dissimilar amphibians that all shared this same fused vertebral trait.
- Researchers have discovered that a majority of order stereospondyli fossil specimens are best preserved in European museum collections.
- Taxonomists have reevaluated the classification of former amphibian orders like the stereospondyli and are working on refining their understanding of these ancient animals.