Dentirostrate

/ˌdɛntɪˈrɒstreɪt/ adjective

Definition

Having a beak or snout equipped with tooth-like structures; characterized by toothed projections on the rostrum.

Etymology

From Latin 'dentis' (tooth) + 'rostratus' (having a beak, from rostrum). The '-ate' suffix indicates possession of the feature being described.

Kelly Says

Ancient birds like Archaeopteryx were dentirostrate, and finding their fossils with actual teeth impressions was revolutionary—it proved birds didn't always have smooth beaks and gave us one of the strongest pieces of evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs.

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