Re: What's in a Name (Was: RAPTOR WRONG)

[Pieter.Depuydt@rug.ac.be]

Well, I think the 'harm is already done' with the misuse of the word 
'raptor' instead of 'dromaeosaur'. But I'd suggest at least here, in 
our well-informed peaceful little discussion group, we'd consistently 
use the right terminology. What's wrong with 'dromaeosaur(id)'? Not 
catchy enough? Sense of boredom and smell of old books?

Regards,

Pieter Depuydt

<'There's more in life than books you know,
but not much more'.>

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> On Wed, 13 Aug 1997, Brian Franczak wrote:
> > The choice of the suffix -_raptor_ for unrelated types of dinosaurs is not
> > inherently confusing (any more that the choice of the suffix -_saurus_ for
> > unrelated dinosaurs is), it's the mistaken notion that the suffix somehow
> > implies a *relationship* between unrelated forms.

 and Armando Narvaes answered...
> Personally, I'm not that fond of the word "raptor" either. I had to stop
> and think whether I used the term when we added "Velociraptor" to the list
> of dinosaurs introduced in my school's dinosaur unit. Fortunately, I don't
> think anyone used it. Kind of glad they didn't pick up on "trike" for
> "Triceratops," too.