suborder pachycephalosaurus
Definition
Noun A taxonomic suborder of ornithischian dinosaurs characterized by having thick, domed skulls. These dinosaurs lived during the Late Cretaceous period and are informally known as bone-headed dinosaurs.
Usage
The term is used in scientific classification (taxonomy) to group a specific type of dinosaur. * The fossil record for the suborder Pachycephalosaurus is primarily based on cranial remains. * Researchers study the suborder Pachycephalosaurus to understand dinosaur behavior.
Advanced Usage
- In paleontological literature, the name is often used in a taxonomic context to discuss evolutionary relationships within Ornithischia.
- The defining characteristic of this group is the pachyostotic (thickened) frontoparietal bone forming a dome.
Variants and Related Words
- Pachycephalosaurid (noun): A member of the family Pachycephalosauridae within this suborder.
- Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis is a well-known pachycephalosaurid.
- Pachycephalosauria (noun): This is the more formally recognized infraorder or clade name that is often synonymous with the suborder in modern classifications.
Synonyms
- Bone-headed dinosaurs (informal collective term)
Notes on Meaning
This term refers specifically to a formal taxonomic rank (suborder) within biological classification. It should not be confused with the genus Pachycephalosaurus, which is just one member (type genus) of this larger group.
Noun
- boneheaded dinosaurs; late Cretaceous
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