adjective
- of or relating to an egg that is enclosed in a protective shell and is independent of an aquatic environment for development
Usage: biology; technical
Examples
- Birds lay cleidoic eggs that can develop on land.
- The cleidoic egg was a major evolutionary adaptation for terrestrial vertebrates.
- Reptiles and birds both produce cleidoic eggs with hard or leathery shells.
- Unlike amphibian eggs, cleidoic eggs do not require water for embryonic development.