Daily Almanac for
Nov 29, 2009
Search: Infoplease Info search tips
Search: Biographies Bio search tips

Dictionary


pro•to•a•vis



Pronunciation: (prō"tō-ā'vis), [key]
n.
a fossil bird of the genus Protoavis, from the Triassic Period, having a birdlike, partly toothless jaw structure, a tail and hind legs resembling those of the dinosaur, and the hollow bones and keellike breast that are characteristic of modern birds: the oldest known avian type, preceding the archaeopteryx by an estimated 75 million years.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

Proto-Algonquianprotochordate
    • Cite
    • Print
    • Bookmark
See also:

 

Related Content