History UsefulNotes / PrehistoricLife

# '''''-oides''''': Greek for “similar to”, or figuratively, “false”. ''E.g.'' ''Dromaeosauroides'', ''Sinornithoides''.

# '''''-(h)oplo-''''': Greek for “armor”, “weapon”. ''E.g.'' ''Panoplosaurus'', ''Hoplophoneus''.
# '''''-ch(e)irus/ch(e)iro-''''': Greek for “hand”. ''E.g.'' ''Deinocheirus'', ''Chirostenotes''.
# '''''-pus/-po-''''': Greek for “foot”. ''E.g.'' ''Moropus'', ''Astrapotherium''.
# '''''-pleuro/-pleura''''': Greek for “side” or “hip”. ''E.g.'' ''Pleurosaurus'', ''Liopleurodon'', ''Arthropleura''.
# '''''-urus/uro-''''': Greek for “tail”. ''E.g.'' ''Dacentrurus'', ''Coelurus'', ''Urocordylus''. There is also '''''-cercus''''' with the same meaning: ''E.g.'' ''Pholidocercus''.

# '''''-osteus, osteo-''''': Greek for “bone”. ''E.g.'' ''Dunkleosteus'', ''Coccosteus'', ''Osteolepis''.

# '''''-spondylus''''': Greek for “vertebra”. ''E.g.'' ''Massospondylus'', ''Eustreptospondylus''.

# '''''-onyx/-onychus''''': Greek for “nail” or “claw”. Theropods with one enlarged claw in their hand or foot have often these suffixes. ''E.g.'' ''Baryonyx'', ''Deinonychus''. Alvarezsaurid names end with the variant '''''-onykus''''': ''Mononykus''.

# '''''-lophus/lopho-''''': Greek for “crest”. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Indicates animals with some sort of crest.]] ''E.g.'' ''Parasaurolophus'', ''Dilophosaurus''. '''''Corytho-''''' and '''''corypho-''''' have similar meanings: ''Corythosaurus'', ''Coryphodon''.

# '''''-rhynchus/rhyncho-''''': Greek for “beak”, but also “muzzle”. ''E.g.'' ''Rhamphorhynchus'', ''Rhynchosaurus''.
# '''''-gnathus/gnatho-''''': Greek for “jaw”. ''E.g.'' ''Compsognathus'', ''Cynognathus'', ''Gnathosaurus''.

# '''''-(h)oplo-''''': Greek for “armor”, “weapon”. . ''E.g.'' ''Panoplosaurus'', ''Hoplophoneus''.

# '''''eu-''''': Greek for “good”, “true”, or “well”. ''E.g.'' ''Eusthenopteron''[[note]]“well-narrow fin”[[note]], ''Eurhinosaurus''[[note]]“well-nosed lizard”[[/note]], ''Eudimorphodon''[[note]]“true dimorphic tooth”[[/note]].

# '''''archaeo-''''', '''''palaeo-''''', '''''meso-''''', '''''caeno-''''', '''''neo-''''': The first two meaning “ancient”, the last two “recent” and “new” respectively, while ''meso'' means “middle”. ''E.g.'' ''Archaeopteryx''[[note]]“ancient feather”[[/note]], ''Palaeotherium''[[note]]“ancient beast”[[/note]], ''Mesohippus''[[note]]“middle horse”[[/note]], ''Caenolestes''[[note]]“recent robber”[[/note]], ''Neoceratodus''[[note]]“new horned tooth”[[/note]]. The word “palaeontology” means “the study of ancient beings”. There are also the prefixes of the main geological eras (following the older classifications): the Archaeozoic, the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic, and the Cenozoic.

# '''''para-''''': Greek for “near” or “beside”. ''E.g.'' ''Parasaurolophus''[[note]]“near ''Saurolophus''”[[/note]], ''Paraceratherium''[[note]]“near horned beast”[[/note]].

# '''''para-''''': Greek for “near” or “beside”. ''E.g.'' ''Parasaurolophus''[[note]]“near ''Saurolophus''”[[/note]].

# '''''sino-''''': Greek for “Chinese”. ''E.g.'' ''Sinornithosaurus''[[note]]“Chinese bird-lizard”[[/note]], ''Sinosaurus''[[note]]“Chinese lizard”[[/note]], ''Sinraptor''[[note]]“Chinese plunderer”[[/note]], ''Sinornithoides''[[note]]“Chinese bird-form”[[/note]].

# '''''-(h)oplo''''': Greek for “armor”. ''E.g.'' ''Panoplosaurus'', ''Hoplophoneus''.

# '''''-ites''''': This suffix is typical for minerals, but has also been applied to some fossil groups of invertebrates (since fossils and rocks have always been associated with each other): more famously the Ammonites and the Trilobites, but also the Graptolites and the protozoan Nummulites.

# '''''-ceras''''': Greek for “horn”. Most nautiloids have this, due to their horn-shaped shells. ''E.g.'' ''Orthoceras'', ''Cameroceras''.

# '''''-ceras''''': Greek for “horn”. Most ammonites and nautiloids have this, due to their horn-shaped shells. ''E.g.'' ''Orthoceras'', ''Cameroceras''.

# '''''-(h)oplo''''': Greek for “armor”. ''E.g.'' ''Panoplosaurus'', ''Hoplophorus''.

# '''''-(h)oplo''''': Greek for “armor”. ''E.g.'' ''Panoplosaurus'', ''Hoplosuchus''.

# '''''-cetus''''': Greek for “sea-monster&rdquo: Extinct cetaceans can have this in their name. ''E.g.'' ''Pakicetus'', ''Odobenocetops''.

# '''''(h)oplo''''': Greek for “armor”. ''E.g.'' ''Panoplosaurus'', ''Hoplosuchus''.

# '''''gorgo-''''' and '''''terato-''''': “Gorgo-” is “fierce&rdquo: (or can refer to the Gorgon of mythology) in Greek, whilst “terato-” is “monstrous”. ''E.g.'' ''Gorgosaurus''[[note]]“fierce lizard”[[/note]], ''Gorgonops''[[note]]“Gorgon face”/“Gorgon eye”[[/note]], ''Teratosaurus''[[note]]“monstrous lizard”[[/note]], ''Teratornis''[[note]]“monstrous bird”[[/note]].

# '''''drom-''''': Greek for “running” or “runner&rdquo. ''E.g.'' ''Dromaeosaurus''[[note]]“running lizard”[[/note]], ''Orodromeus''[[note]]“mountain runner”[[/note]], ''Kulindadromeus''[[note]]“runner of Kulinda”[[/note]].

# '''''-onyx/-onychus''''': Greek for &ldquonail” or “claw”. Theropods with one enlarged claw in their hand or foot have often these suffixes. ''E.g.'' ''Baryonyx'', ''Deinonychus''. Alvarezsaurid names end with the variant '''''-onykus''''': ''Mononykus''.

# '''''-tyrannus''''': Greek for “tyrant”. Often given to tyrannosaurids. ''E.g.'' ''Sinotyrannus'', ''Yutyrannus''.

# '''''-raptor''''': Latin for “thief”, “plunderer” or “robber”: since the success of ''Franchise/JurassicPark'', identifies mainly dromaeosaurids (''Pyroraptor'', ''Bambiraptor''), but many other theropod dinosaurs are named this as well: ''Oviraptor'', ''Megaraptor'', ''Fukuiraptor''. Birds of prey are also commonly called raptors, but no genus of avian dinosaur contains this suffix in its name.

# '''''-tyrannus''''': Greek for “tyrant”. Often given to tyrannosaurids. ''E.g.'' ''Sinotyrannus'', ''Yutyrannus''.

# '''''-urus/uro-''''': Greek for “tail”. ''E.g.'' ''Dacentrurus'', ''Coelurus'', ''Urocordylus''.There is also '''''-cercus''''' with the same meaning: ''E.g.'' ''Pholidocercus''.

# '''''-urus/uro-''''': Greek for “tail”. ''E.g.'' ''Dacentrurus'', ''Coelurus'', ''Urocordylus''.There is also '''''-cercus''''' with the same meaning: ''Pholidocercus''[[note]]“scaly tail”[[/note]].