Definition

Noun: 1. An order of extinct herbivorous dinosaurs: Ornithischia is the scientific name for a major order of dinosaurs characterized by a bird-like pelvic structure. This group includes a wide variety of herbivorous dinosaurs, such as armored dinosaurs, horned dinosaurs, and duck-billed dinosaurs.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The Ornithischia are distinguished from the Saurischia by their hip structure.
  • Stegosaurus and Triceratops are two well-known genera within the Ornithischia.
  • All members of the Ornithischia order were plant-eaters.

Advanced Usage

• "ornithischian" (adjective): Describing something related to or characteristic of the Ornithischia order.
  • The fossil displayed clear ornithischian traits in its pelvis.
• "ornithischian" (noun): An individual dinosaur belonging to the Ornithischia order.
  • The new discovery was classified as a basal ornithischian.

Variants and Related Words

• Ornithischian: The adjectival and singular noun form.
• Thyreophora: A suborder of Ornithischia, the armored dinosaurs (e.g., Stegosaurus, Ankylosaurus).
• Marginocephalia: A suborder of Ornithischia, the bone-headed and horned dinosaurs (e.g., Pachycephalosaurus, Triceratops).
• Ornithopoda: A suborder of Ornithischia, the duck-billed dinosaurs and their relatives (e.g., Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus).

Synonyms

• Bird-hipped dinosaurs: A common, descriptive name for this order, directly translating the meaning of "Ornithischia" (from Greek: = bird, = hip joint).

Different Meanings

This term is used exclusively in scientific taxonomy (paleontology) and has no other general meanings. It refers specifically to the defined dinosaur order.

Noun

1. extinct terrestrial reptiles having bird-like pelvises: armored dinosaurs (thyreophorans); boneheaded and horned dinosaurs (marginocephalians); duck-billed dinosaurs (euronithopods)