"Arboreal" definitions (was Re: 'bird' definitions)

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

At 10:44 AM 3/24/99 -0800, Jaime A. Headden wrote:

>  I don't know if anybody doubts that small
>"protoceratopian" ceratopians were arboreal; certainly
>it would seem that Microcephalosaurus, Bagaceratops, or
>Leptoceratops could scamper about in bush, tree, or
>rock (hyrax-morphs!) will ease and skill.

[Time to get the whacking stick out...]

Okay, class: what is the difference between the following terms:

Arboreal vs. Scansorial

Scamper about in bush, tree or rock with ease and skill = scansorial (a
climber).

Highly specialized for a life in which *a majority of the time* is spent in
the trees = arboreal (tree dweller).

Different words for different meanings.

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