Re: Livezey & Zusi: a postscript

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

Stephan Pickering (stefanpickering2002@yahoo.com) wrote:

<Although I like the stated purpose of Nomina Anatomica Avium, Jacques
Gauthier has brought to my attention ... that the nomenclature[,]
well-established for all reptiles ("birds" = feathered reptiles = simply
living dinosaurs), of Biology of the Reptilia especially, is far more
useful for dinosaur work, in that English, not Latin, is the language of
dinosaur science. Eventually, the Nomina Anatomica Avium will have to be
emended to fit with Biology of the Reptilia, an appendix to be Nomina
Anatomica Dinosaurologica?>

  There will likely never be a NAD, this will largely be an extension of
preference to the NAA, or a general NA Reptilicum. So, for the moment,
hold on to your NAD. However, the in press publication, The Dinosauria
(2nd Ed.) [Weishampel, Dodson, and Osmólska as well] will try to utilize
concensus anatomy as in the first; labels were uniform.

  There is not, however, any standardized nomenclature for "reptilian"
anatomy; only two texts, as abbreviated above, are considered "standard"
anatomical references: the _Nomina Anatomica Mammalium_ and the _Nomina
Anatomica Avium_. Presently, much archosaur terminology exists that is not
considered in agreement with the NAA, which is what is used primarily in
reference to non-avian dinosaurs. The ventral tubercle, or posterior
trochanter of the humerus, or caudal process.... I prefer adductor crest
as a function of ... function. It goes on. Plenty much discussion on this
list and the VertPaleo list (vertpaleo@usc.edu, you subscribe the same way
you did to this list ... and I am not talking to Stephan on this point)
about termonology conformation, both Jerry Harris and I have been vocal
about standardization of terms, but somewhat it seems preferrential. I
would only insist on one thing if I didn't get my first point (all terms
standard): be absolutely clear what you are referring to, and variants to
literature cited.

  Cheers, mates... on to the US Open....

=====
Jaime A. Headden

  Little steps are often the hardest to take.  We are too used to making leaps 
in the face of adversity, that a simple skip is so hard to do.  We should all 
learn to walk soft, walk small, see the world around us rather than zoom by it.

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