Re: John McLoughlin's books (was: ceratopsian restorations)

[JCMcL <darwincr@laplaza.taos.nm.us>]

On Wed, 17 Jan 1996, Dave Hardenbrook wrote:

> John McLoughlin wrote:
> >If one looked from a distance at the Earth, and were only able to see larger 
> >mammals, what species of large mammal, worldwide, would represent our class?
> 
> >Of that species, which specialized functional subclass of subadult and 
> >adult males is most similar cross-culturally?
> 
> I see your point. But still, I feel the illustration is unfair to the billions
> of mammalian individuals on the planet that *DON'T* wield machine guns.  I
> would have prefered an icon more indicative of mammals as whole, like a
> mother suckling her young.  This is only my humble opinion...
> 
> Anyway, in spite of our differences on the point, and knowing now that you're
> on the 'Net, I want to thank you for three excellent and wonderful books: 
> _Archosauria_, _Synapsida_, and _The Canine Clan_!
> 
>                              -- Dave
> 
Many thanks.  But the illustration isn't any more unfair to all those 
poor neglected mammals than it would be if I put, say, a harp seal 
suckling its cute little baby; 'twould be unfair to land mammals, then, 
and adult males, and BATZ 'n' WABBITZ, etc.  

The insane evolutionary bloom of humans is turning the world into a 
(temporary) human monoculture, and we're thus witness to the sorry end of 
the Cenozoic Era.  Our fossil footprint will be very similar to that left 
at the end of the Mesozoic - a massive dieoff in the seas and on the 
land, followed by an adaptive radiation of some other form into the 
large-animal econiches.  

My personal contender is the rat Rattus norvegicus.  

Waes Hael!
John