Re: terminology

[Thomas_R_HOLTZ@umail.umd.edu (th81)]

>  I finally got a copy of _THE_DINOSAURIA_ (softcover, at a quarter the price
>of the hardcover version). The warnings about it were correct, and I am now
>having the same problem with terminology that has become a subject on the list
>recently. Too bad they didn't include a glossary for us laymen (sorry, lay-
>persons?). Can anyone recommend an popularly available source to layperson
>definitions of some of the terminology, or do I have to go back to university
>and take a course of vertebrate physiology (or whatever the correct term is)?

The short answer - yes, you do have to go back to school and take a
course...  But seriously, the anatomical sections do require a technical
background (just as a grad level geophysics text assumes you already know
the basics).  However, some of the sections (such as Farlow's chapter on
thermal physiology and ecology) do not require too technical a background.

I don't know if there are any "laypersons" books explaining the anatomical
terms - Weishampel (in the intro) does list the vet anatomical atlas, but
that's a technical book on its own, and rather pricey.

I don't have my copy of Weishampel et al. with me at the moment, but as I
recall the thermal physiology chapter wasn't too dense (compared to the
others).  The terms Farlow uses are the basics:
endothermy - generating internal heat (typically by cellular mechanisms)
ectothermy - obtaining heat from outside of the body
poikilothermy - body temperature fluctuating with the outside temperature
heterothermy - body temperature fluctuating over time, not as extreme as above
homeothermy - body temperature kept near a constant
tachymetabolism - fast metabolic rate, uses up "fuel" quickly
bradymetabolism - slow metabolic rate, uses up "fuel" slowly
heterometabolism - capable of both tachy- & bradymetabolism, either due to
changes over the life cycle or (like some sharks & brooding pythons) capable
of shifting into "high gear" for short periods of time (sharks during
feeding frenzy, pythons while incubating eggs).

I mentioned a definition of gigantothermy in a previous posting.  I note
that some people are confused by the concept - gigantothermy does not
require brachiosaur size bulk.  The living leatherback turtle is the animal
first demonstrated to be gigantothermic, and is of course much smaller than
many dinosaurs.
>
>Scott Horton
>Geophysicist/Computer Programmer
>
>

Thomas R. HOLTZ
Vertebrate Paleontologist, Dept. of Geology
Email:Thomas_R_HOLTZ@umail.umd.edu (th81)
Phone:301-405-4084