MESORHINE Meaning and
Definition
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Mesorhine is a term used primarily in paleontology and zoology to describe a specific group of mammals, particularly in reference to their dental characteristics. The term combines the Greek words "meso," meaning intermediate or middle, and "rhinos," meaning nose, indicating the evolutionary position of these animals between ancient and modern rhinos.
Mesorhine mammals are typically small and belong to the order Perissodactyla, which includes odd-toed ungulates such as horses, tapirs, and rhinoceroses. What sets them apart from other mammals is their unique dental structure. Specifically, the term refers to species with two pairs of upper incisors and three pairs of lower incisors, a middle position between their more primitive ancestors with four pairs of upper incisors and modern rhinos with a reduced number. Additionally, mesorhine animals have a typically larger and more varied number of premolars than their modern descendants.
The term mesorhine is often used during discussions on the evolution and taxonomy of mammals, providing insight into the ancient lineage of certain groups. It helps scientists identify and classify fossils, determine the relationships between different species, and understand the variations that exist within a group over time. By studying the characteristics of mesorhine mammals, researchers gain crucial information about the evolutionary history of rhinoceroses and other related animals.
Common Misspellings for MESORHINE
- nesorhine
- kesorhine
- jesorhine
- mwsorhine
- mssorhine
- mdsorhine
- mrsorhine
- m4sorhine
- m3sorhine
- meaorhine
- mezorhine
- mexorhine
- medorhine
- meeorhine
- meworhine
- mesirhine
- meskrhine
- meslrhine
- mesprhine
- mes0rhine
Etymology of MESORHINE
The word "Mesorhine" is derived from two Greek words: "meso" meaning "middle" and "rhinos" meaning "nose". It is a scientific term coined in the field of anthropology and physical anthropology to describe a particular nasal feature. The term is used to refer to people or primates with a nose that is neither extremely long (leptorrhine) nor extremely broad (platyrrhine), but falls somewhere in between.
