Re: Paleogaffe in NATURAL HISTORY Magazine -Reply

[Nomen <darwincr@laplaza.org>]

Regarding this paleogaffe in NATURAL HISTORY Magazine:

>>    "From ostriches to sparrows, birds find their 
>>    closest relatives among the extinct sauropod dinosaurs, 
>>    which included the likes of Tyrannosaurus rex and the 
>>    huge brontosaurians."

At 11:37 AM 5/20/1998 -0400, 
Ralph Chapman <CHAPMAN.RALPH@NMNH.SI.EDU> wrote:

RC-->   Niles [Eldridge] obviously meant saurischian 
RC-->   rather than sauropod.  I've known Niles for 20 years 
RC-->   and can vouch for the fact that he know the difference. 
RC-->   It's real easy to have typos insinuate themselves into pubs, 
RC-->   especially more popular ones for some reason. This would 
RC-->   not be caught by a spell checker either. Nuff said.

Very true!  This is why we need children.  
My 12-year-old daughter caught this one!

Actually, Eldridge probably did not write the box in which the
error appeared.  Often such boxes are written by editorial types with
only a cursory understanding of the material involved.  

John C. McLoughlin