Re: Ectothermy

["Larry Febo" <larryf@capital.net>]

By "mammal", I presume you mean "placental" (shame, shame on you for such
poor treatment of our pouched cousins! :-)

{Oops! Guess I let that one slip by! I`m usually more careful of the terms I
use.}

And let's not forget about brooding pythons, who are (temporary)
endothermic.
>Perhaps the term ectothermic is not a usefull one at all, perhaps all
>conditions should be described in terms of the amount of ENDOTHERMY,
period!
Ugh!! No! The history of terrestrial vertebrate life is more than a bird-
and mammal-generating engine: there are a lot of different ways of being an
ectotherm, just as there are more than one way of being an endotherm.

{And I thought it was just a passive event!}

If anything was gained from the 1970s and 1980s debates on dinosaurian
endothermy, it is the fact that we better understand what terms with which
we are dealing, prior to trying to buttonhole dinosaurs into one or another
particular category.

{ I`m sure a lot has been written in the 25 (or so) years since I`ve delved
into the topic. I`m sure I`ve got a lot of "catch-up " to do to make my
argument convincing!}

>Maybe it`s not my place to suggest these sorts of major changes in
>descriptive vocabulary, but it seems it would make things a bit easier to
>explain, as well as allow for more accurate descriptions. So, all those for
>the extinction of the term Ectothermic...say aye!
Again, nay!
My suggestion here to those interested in the topic: check out studies
thermoregulation in modern animals that *are not* focused dinosaurs (plenty
of references in the appropriate chapters and articles in Currie & Padian's
_Encyc. of Dinos._ and Farlow & Brett-Surman's _The Complete Dino._). Get a
better idea of what is known among modern forms.

{Yes. Currie and Padian. Lots of contributors, and lots of references to
follow up on. One of my "better" purchases. Two fine fellows too Currie and
Padian! What makes my volume especially valuable...to me, is the envelope
pasted to the back page containing responses to my "speculations", nice of
them to take the time with their cordial , and useful responses!}

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

{ Larry Febo }