Re: Giant birds

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/9/99 4:41:44 PM EST, tkeese1@gl.umbc.edu writes:

<< 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_} >>

Priority pertains to names, not to definitions. In theory if not always in 
practice, the first person to recognize a group gets eternal credit by having 
his name for the group used forever, regardless of how that person may 
originally have defined the group. Maybe the solution to the difficulties is 
to have a new name for a group every time the group is redefined.