Brevirostrate

/brɛvɪˈrɒstreɪt/ adjective

Definition

Having a short beak or snout, the more common variant of brevirostral; describing animals with shortened facial projections.

Etymology

From Latin 'brevis' (short) + 'rostratus' (beaked, from 'rostrum'). This variant became the standard form in 19th-century biological nomenclature.

Kelly Says

A brevirostrate duck might have evolved that way because it feeds by dabbling in shallow water instead of diving deep like long-beaked cormorants—form really does follow function!

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