RE: Sarcosuchus

[chris brochu <christopher-brochu@uiowa.edu>]

>> 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.
>
>Er...
>
>Its name means "imperial flesh _crocodile_"...
>
>Project Exploration's official website for it is "SuperCroc.com"...
>
>One can hardly blame the news media when the _official expedition website_
>and _official press release_ have things like "world record for a croc" and
>"hyper giant crocodiles" plastered all over them.
>
>Mike D.


"croc" could be an abbreviation for "crocodile," "crocodylian/crocodilian"
(since these terms sound identical when spoken, they should be regarded as
the same), "crocodyliform," "crocodylomorph," "Crocodylus," or anything
else beginning with "croc".

And I DO blame the news media, because I know for a fact that many of us
tried to explain patiently to some of these groups that Sarcosuchus is not
a crocodylian/crocodilian, but a very close relative of them (something
called a "crocodyliform.")  They decided that the public would simply never
get it - something I also know for a fact is bunk.

Moreover, given the sample sizes available to us, I don't buy the idea that
Sarcosuchus was unambiguously the largest crocodyliform of all time.
Rhamphosuchus and Purussaurus, on average, were probably at least as big.




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