Re: Dromaeosaur "sickle" claws

["Peter Von Sholly" <vonrex@gte.net>]

Nos does sickle cell anemia mean that the blood cells cut each other up. 
But what I meant was that, when appled to the dromaeosaurid claw, I think
there's an implication of more than just the shape- but of course, you're
right; the word does have more meanings than just that.

----------
> From: Ronald Orenstein <ornstn@inforamp.net>
> To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> Subject: Re: Dromaeosaur "sickle"  claws
> Date: Monday, August 25, 1997 5:28 AM
> 
> At 01:30 PM 8/24/97 -0700, you wrote:
> >Right on.  And I'd like to emphasize that my objection to the term
> >"sickle" comes strictly from the implied connotation that it could CUT
like
> >a sickle, not it's shape.  (I think it's part of the hype attendant to
> >Deinonychus).  
> 
> Just to point out that the term "sickle" is used to describe the bills of
> certain birds (eg the Sickle-billed Vanga Falculea palliata of Madagascar
> and the Sicklebills Eutoxeres [which are hummingbirds]) without any
> implication that these bills have sharp cutting edges.  There are also
> birds called "Scythebills", and they can't cut with their bills either.
> --
> Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886
> International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116
> 1825 Shady Creek Court                 
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>