noun
- a member of an order of herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a hip structure similar to that of birds, including species such as Triceratops and Stegosaurus
Usage: paleontology; often capitalized when referring to the taxonomic group Ornithischia
adjective
- of, relating to, or belonging to the order of ornithischian dinosaurs
Usage: paleontology
Examples
- Triceratops was an ornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period.
- The ornithischian hip structure differs significantly from that of saurischian dinosaurs.
- Many ornithischian species were quadrupedal herbivores.
- Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable ornithischian dinosaurs.
- Paleontologists classify Ankylosaurus as an ornithischian based on its skeletal features.
- The ornithischian group includes some of the largest land animals ever to exist.