How to Use non-avian in a Sentence

non-avian

adjective
  • The group went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, as did other non-avian dinosaurs.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Lee compared the survival patterns to the coelacanth, a deep-water fish that survived the mass extinction that eliminated non-avian dinosaurs.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Almost all of the largest plant and animal species on Earth were driven to extinction, including all of the non-avian dinosaurs and the last of the flying reptiles.
    — Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
  • After the non-avian dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago, placental mammals diversified explosively.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • The Ubirajara’s ornate, ribbon-like display feathers projecting from its shoulders and a distinctive mane-like covering along its back – the first such structures found in a non-avian dinosaur from South America.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025
  • The late Cretaceous period is the final period of the Age of Dinosaurs, which lasted from about 100 to 66 million years ago and ended with the mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs.
    — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Established back in 1955, Dinosaur Provincial Park has long been renowned for its abundance of fossils, with more than fifty non-avian dinosaur species discovered within its boundaries—and beyond ancient creatures, the region offers top-tier hiking opportunities and modern wildlife as well.
    — Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'non-avian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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