Re: NYT: Theories Evolve in T. Rex Discoveries

[Danvarner@aol.com]

  I received a wonderful Christmas present this year, a copy of _The Sibley 
Guide to Birds_written and superbly illustrated by David Allen Sibley. Within 
minutes it helped me ID a juvenile Ross's goose in the creek out our window 
when no other field guide or web search could help. Now there are all sorts 
of field guides to birds, God knows I've bought a handful. One would think 
they had been done to death here in the States. But here is suddenly a fresh 
look and a new perspective--and I'm sure, a new bestseller.
  My wish for the New Year (and the new Millenium) is for a similar new and 
fresh look at dinosaur paleontology from new and fresh (not necessarily 
young) students as some of the former young firebrands mellow into their 
golden years. I look forward to new newspaper stories about Chris and Matt, 
Darren and Tom, and THEIR students and hope that someday we will not have to 
be spoon-fed how many T-rexes have been found by who or who someone has named 
them after or how big they are and instead revel in the science of it all. 
Let's find some new axes to grind.
  This news story sounds much like another Christmas event: when Grandpa or 
an elderly but, of course, much-beloved uncle begins to recite an old story 
everyone has heard a thousand times before. Time for a change. Change the 
channel. Please!
  Dan Varner, the old crank.