Re: Brontosaurus/Apatosaurus

[Jeffrey Martz <martz@holly.ColoState.EDU>]

     I appear to be in the minority of people of like the scientific 
names of animals as much or more than nicknames, and who is not terribly 
concerned which the "appropriatness" of the translation.  I've heared 
Apatosaurus maligned because "Thunder lizard" is more appropriate for the 
animal than "deceptive lizard".  I also recall someone hoping that 
Deinonychus would would not be shown to be cogeneric with Velociraptor 
because "terrible claw" is more appropriate than "swift thief".  I fail to 
understand what the big deal is.  Whn people discuss these animals they 
don't use the translation, they use the scientific names.  Whether you 
call it Apatosaurus or Brontosaurus, you are talking about the same 
sauropod dinosaur, so I don't think the translation is horribly 
relevant.  "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" as Bill 
Shakespeare would say.
       I think that genus and species names tend to have an aesthetic appeal 
that does not need to be detracted from by using nicknames or fretting over 
literal translation.  I particular, "Velociraptor" is a wonderfully 
elegant sounding name (for that matter, so is Deinoinychus.  Another one 
I always liked was Hyracotherium, even if "dawn horse" is way more 
accurate).  

LN Jeff