Branchiosaurus

noun

Bran·​chi·​o·​sau·​rus

ˌbraŋkēəˈsȯrəs

: a group of small fossil amphibians like salamanders from the Permian of Europe formerly regarded as constituting a separate order or suborder but now usually held to be larvae of typical rhachitomous labyrinthodont amphibians

—used originally as a generic name and still commonly as though it were a generic name

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from branchi- + -saurus

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