Re: Sarcosuchus

["Steve Salisbury" <steve_salisbury@bigpond.com>]

I don't have a problem with people calling Sarcosuchus a crocodilian (with
an 'i' as opposed to a 'y').  It's been classified as a pholidosaurid
mesosuchian for about 30 years now.

Steve

---------------------------
Steve Salisbury

Palaeontology and Geology, Queensland Museum
PO Box 3300, South Brisbane, Q 4101, Australia

www.Qmuseum.qld.gov.au



> I'm actually rather disappointed in the coverage this is getting, as
> Sarcosuchus is not a crocodylian at all.  It's probably a
> pholidosaur, which means it's a "mesosuchian"-grade crocodyliform,
> but it lies outside Crocodylia.
>
> Part of this stems from the desire of certain media sources to
> simplify the language for the  public by misusing a familiar word
> rather than trusting the public with a slightly newer term.  I think
> this attitude insults the public and does the paleontological
> community a disservice.
>
>
>
> chris
>
>
>
> --
> ------------------------
> Christopher A. Brochu
> Assistant Professor
> Department of Geoscience
> University of Iowa
> Iowa City, IA 52242
>
> christopher-brochu@uiowa.edu
> 319-353-1808 phone
> 319-335-1821 fax
>
> www.geology.uiowa.edu/faculty/brochu