Re: Quo vadis... (REALLY my last)

["King, Norm" <nking.ucs@smtp.usi.edu>]

Dinogeorge wrote (02/05/96; 5:09p):

>Once you get into superfamilies, you're under the jurisdiction of the 
ICZN.
>The names Maniraptora and Arctometatarsalia are improper family-level 
names,
>which must ultimately be based on generic names. In the case of
>superfamilies, the names are formed from the generic-name root plus the
>suffix -oidea, and if there are already families within the superfamily, 
>then the oldest family name tells you which genus you must use to form 
your
>superfamily name. Thus, instead of Maniraptora, the name must be
>Dromaeosauroidea, because Dromaeosauridae is the oldest included 
>family-level name (Matthew & Brown, 1922, versus Oviraptoridae Barsbold, 
>1976 and Ornitholestidae from Ornitholestinae Paul, 1988). And 
>Arctometatarsalia would have to become Ornithomimoidea, from 
Ornithomimidae >Marsh, 1890, which beats the other three families by a 
wide margin.

>Note that keeping Maniraptora and Arctometatarsalia above the family 
level
>would retain them unchanged.


RULES? RULES?  I don't need no stinking rules!

There seems to be a conflict here between wanting to keep up with current 
thinking, while still keeping a framework that can be presented 
(productively) to non-scientists.  It will be reaching to use terms like 
Arctometatarsalia, and I'm supposed to honor ICZN rules?  I'm just hoping 
they will understand: 1, that there is a difference between the animals 
in Maniraptora and Arctometatarsalia; 2, what the difference is; and 3, 
why they should care. 

Maybe I should make up my own suprafamilial categories.  How about:
Hyperfamily?  Macrofamily?  Masterfamily?  Honchofamily?

Or maybe these could be nano-orders?


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Norman R. King                                       tel:  (812) 464-1794
Department of Geosciences                            fax:  (812) 464-1960
University of Southern Indiana
8600 University Blvd.
Evansville, IN 47712                      e-mail:  nking.ucs@smtp.usi.edu