Re: Giant birds

["T. Mike Keesey" <tkeese1@gl.umbc.edu>]

On Tue, 9 Nov 1999 Dinogeorge@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 11/9/99 2:25:01 PM EST, tkeese1@gl.umbc.edu writes:
> 
> << > Aves and Thecodontia at least have priority over Ornithosuchia and 
>  > Pseudosuchia, respectively.
>  
>  Well, Amniota has priority over Alvarezsauria, but it doesn't mean they're
>  the same taxon. >>
> 
> If you were to define Alvarezsauria to be the same taxon, then Amniota would 
> have priority as the name for this taxon. Of course, nobody has even 
> suggested such a definition. As I defined them in my email, Aves is the same 
> as Ornithosuchia and Thecodontia is the same as Pseudosuchia, so the former 
> names would have priority.

Doesn't it makemore sense to prioritize by definition rather than name?
For example, I could claim Amniota is the correct name for Alvarezsauria
by redefining it to {_ALvarezsaurus_ > Neornithes, _Ornithomimus_}, just
as you claim AVes is the correct name for Ornithosuchia by redefining it
to {Neornithes > _Crocodylus_}

--T. Michael Keesey
tkeese1@gl.umbc.edu | THE DINOSAURICON: http://dinosaur.umbc.edu/
AOL IM:  Ric Blayze | WORLDS:    http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~tkeese1/