1. Plural of cynodont; an extinct group of mammal-like reptiles that lived from the Permian through the Triassic periods and are considered ancestors of mammals.
Usage: paleontology; scientific

Examples

• Cynodonts were among the most successful vertebrates of the Triassic period.
• Scientists study cynodonts to understand the evolutionary transition from reptiles to mammals.
• The fossil record shows that cynodonts developed increasingly mammalian features over time.
• Many cynodonts had specialized teeth adapted for different types of food.
• Paleontologists have discovered numerous cynodont fossils in South Africa and Russia.