|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
amniote
amniote Applied to a type of development, typical of higher vertebrates (reptiles, birds, and mammals), in which the amnion surrounds the embryo in a bag of (amniotic) fluid. The amnion is primitively associated with a shell, and is capable of gaseous exchange; its development thus enabled eggs to be laid on dry land for the first time in vertebrate evolution.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "amniote." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "amniote." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-amniote.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "amniote." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-amniote.html |
|
amniote
amniote A vertebrate whose embryos are totally enclosed in a fluid-filled sac – the amnion. The evolution of the amnion provided the necessary fluid environment for the developing embryo and therefore allowed animals to breed away from water. Amniotes comprise the reptiles, birds, and mammals. Compare anamniote.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"amniote." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "amniote." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-amniote.html "amniote." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-amniote.html |
|