Re: WHAT I SAW TODAY AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-06-24 03:02:50 EDT, gbabcock@best.com writes:

<< Heck, let's just drop the term "bird" altogether!  (I am kidding).   ;^)
>>

I prefer defining birds (Aves: stem taxon) as all dinosaurs closer to
_Megalosaurus_ than to _Iguanodon_. This would make birds out of all the known
theropods from _Herrerasaurus_ on up. Peter Ax (1989) goes one further; he has
(more or less) suggested defining Aves as all archosaurs closer to modern
birds (e.g., robins, crows) than to crocodiles (thus keeping the extant crown
groups separate). This would make >all< the dinosaurs (and pterosaurs, too)
birds, as well as numerous as-yet-unknown taxa on the stem from crocs to
dinos. Interesting thought but one I don't think we're quite ready for:
_Apatosaurus_ as a giant, four-legged, long-necked bird.