Dendrorhynchoides etymology

[bh480@scn.org]

From: Ben Creisler bh480@scn.org
Subject: Dendrorhynchoides etymology

Check out the etymology from Dinosauria On-Line below--I 
translated the passage that explains the name in Chinese. 
Tougher than it sounds since the copy I had was a 
photocopy of a photocopy of what looks like a fax.  
Unfortunately, tiny details of Chinese characters degrade 
pretty quick when  copied or faxed, making them VERY hard 
to decipher.  I did double-check my interpretation with 
someone who regularly translates Chinese and in fact had 
seen a better copy of the paper.  The literal reading of 
the name Dendrorhynchus as "tree snout" is incorrect, 
and "tree-of-Rhamphorhynchus" or "branch-of-
Rhamphorhynchus" comes closer. As already mentioned on the 
mailing list, Dendrorhynchoides ("Dendrorhynchus") is now 
known to be unrelated to Rhamphorhynchus, making the name 
a total misnomer. The supposed long tail on the fossil  
was added by an enterprising fossil-collector who assumed 
it needed one. It's a pterodactyloid, but official 
clarification of this point has not yet been published. 
(Should appear soon in Nature if I am not mistaken.) 

Dendrorhynchoides Ji S., Ji Q. & Padian 1999 "tree-of-
Rhamphorhynchus form" 
(Gr. dendron "tree" + (Rhampho)rhynchus (Gr. 
rhygkhos "snout") + -oides "like, form") (m) replacement 
name for preoccupied Dendrorhynchus Ji S. & Ji Q. 
1998 "tree-of-Rhamphorhynchus," named to indicate its 
close similarity and taxonomic relationship to the genus 
Rhamphorhynchus.