Re: various & sundry

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <th81@umail.umd.edu>]

At 10:53 AM 12/21/98 EST, Christian Kammerer wrote:

[concerning using "reptilian" in favor or "reptile"]
>I feel I must comment on two points, though, if "reptile" and
>"reptilian" carry the same cultural baggage, why not "carnivore" and
>"carnivoran"? Because less people care?

I think mostly because the word "carnivoran" had never been used before
mammalogists used it for "a member of Carnivora", while "reptilian" is a
word that has been used as a metaphor or adjective outside of biology.

>Now just use the phrase
>"buttload of shared derived characteristics" more in these reptile posts, and
>I'll be happy.

I'll try to, especially with some weird-ass new forms. :-)

Oh, a new paper or two, just in:

Carrano, M.T. 1998.  Locomotion in non-avian dinosaurs: integrating data
from hindlimb kinematics, in vivo strains, and bone morphology.
Paleobiology 24(4):450-469.

(Matt also has a paper in press in Journal of Zoology, entitled "What, if
anything, is a cursor? Categories versus continua for determining locomotor
performance in dinosaurs and mammals" which I am REALLY looking forward to!).

Markwick, P.J.  1998.  Crocodilian diversity in space and time: the role of
climate in paleoecology and its implication for understanding K/T
extinctions.  Paleobiology 24(4):470-497.


Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist     Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu
Dept. of Geology              Email:tholtz@geol.umd.edu
University of Maryland        Phone:301-405-4084
College Park, MD  20742       Fax:  301-314-9661