Re: Theories on the extinction of dinosaurs

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/19/99 12:56:00 PM EST, jbois@umd5.umd.edu writes:

<< Horner made a point against this.  The last passenger pigeon was
 killed (I think) by pneumonia.  Saying they became extinct because of
 pneumonia may be technically true, but it is a rather shallow statement. >>

Here we know the pigeon was doomed because all multicelled organisms 
eventually die; but in the case of the heart patient who is shot to death, he 
might still have been cured to live for a few more years and die of something 
else. Of course, in the long run, we're all dead (extinct). Dinosaur 
extinction problem needs to have properly defined concepts of cause, 
extinction, and so forth, so we don't get twisted around by these kinds of 
details.