autostylic

adjective

au·​to·​sty·​lic

: having the jaws connected directly with the cranium (as in chimaeras, lungfishes, amphibians, and higher vertebrates) instead of indirectly by the hyoid arch

—sometimes distinguished from holostylic to denote lack of fusion of the pterygoquadrate with the cranium compare amphistylic, hyostylic

Word History

Etymology

aut- + -stylic

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