Subclass Synapsida (Noun)
Meaning
Extinct reptiles of the Permian to Jurassic considered ancestral to mammals.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The subclass Synapsida is a group of extinct reptiles that lived during the Permian to Jurassic periods and are considered ancestral to mammals.
- The early synapsids, such as Dimetrodon, were characterized by their sail-like dorsal fin and were among the first members of the subclass Synapsida.
- The subclass Synapsida is thought to have originated in the late Permian period, around 260 million years ago, and went on to diversify into various groups.
- Some members of the subclass Synapsida, such as the therapsids, developed more mammal-like characteristics, including hair and mammary glands.
- The subclass Synapsida is often referred to as the "mammal-like reptiles" due to their transitional characteristics between reptiles and mammals.