archaeus
/ərˈkeɪ.ɪəs/Definitions
1. noun
An ancient or primitive being or creature, especially in mythology.
“According to ancient lore, the archaeus was said to be a fearsome monster.”
2. noun
A primitive or ancestral being or organism, especially in the context of evolutionary biology or paleontology.
“The discovery of the archaeus fossils provided crucial evidence for the evolution of life on Earth.”