[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index][Subject Index][Author Index]

RE: Giant pliosaur from Russia + dinosaur media confusion + more news



> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] On Behalf Of Ben 
> Creisler
> Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2014 4:34 PM
> To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> Subject: Giant pliosaur from Russia + dinosaur media confusion + more news
> 
> Ben Creisler
> bcreisler@gmail.com
> 
> 
> A number of recent news items and blog stuff:
> 
> Giant Jurassic pliosaur found in Ryazan region of Russia
> 
> The only notice in English I can find is this note, which appears to be 
> computer translated ("sea pangolin"??!). [The Russian word for
> pangolin is *yasher*, which can also mean a lizard.]
> 
> http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/19226/

I've encountered this before!

> ===
> 
> Use "paleosaur" for prehistoric reptiles in general?
> 
> http://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2014/09/30/paleosaurs/
> 
> Non-dinosaurs
> 
> http://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2014/09/30/dinosaurs/
> 
> 
> [Personal comment: Why not revive the old term "saurian" that once served 
> quite well?  German still uses "Saurier" quite happily for
> dinosaurs, pterosaurs, marine reptiles, mammal-like reptiles, and even 
> ancient amphibians (temnospondyls, etc.).]
> 
Yes, agree! This word has precedence in English, too, if you go back to 19th 
Century popular discussions of fossil beasts. If for some reason you can't 
handle just saying "prehistoric reptiles", "saurians" isn't a bad replacement.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA