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Re: Albertaceratops (simpson's bi-annual b*tch about dino naming)



Truly taxonomic names named after places have advantages. It might interest locals into helping professionals with our science. Is there a little chest beating by the inhabitants of the Province of Alberta.. ehh maybe. Such effort is warranted even if one more student is coaxed into the sciences. Even tapping into the myths and legends of the local Native Canadians would have its advantages, perhaps not now but who's to say about the next generation. Heaven forbid we try to inspire

Thanks, Bill Wahl

Paleontologist/Preparation Lab Manager. The guy that works on all the non-dinosaur stuff.
The OSHA approved cleaner of the lab refrigerator. Official wasp nest remover.
307-864-2997-or 2979
Wyoming Dinosaur Center
110 Carter Ranch Road Thermopolis, Wyoming. 82443



"I calculated the odds of success vs I was doing something extremely stupid and went ahead anyway." Crow T. Robot, MST 3000.



























































































"

-----Original Message-----
From: ktdykes@arcor.de
To: david.marjanovic@gmx.at
Cc: dinosaur@usc.edu
Sent: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:34 AM
Subject: Re: Albertaceratops (simpson's bi-annual b*tch about dino naming)


<<Naming fossils after places also bears the danger that the names may not
fit for long. Think of *Seymouria sanjuanensis*, named after the place in
(...oops... Texas? New Mexico?) where it was first discovered -- later it
was found in Germany, too...>>


Maybe, but names named after place names have their advantages. For
example, nobody can doubt roughly where the holotype of the
multibutberculate /Dakotamys/ came from. That name makes it obvious it was
found in Utah. Contrast this with Tedrow and Korth's far less clear (and
invalid) 1997 /"Dakotamys"/ (now known as /Dakotallomys/) which,
confusingly, came from South Dakota rather than Utah.
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