Re: Laelaps and Brontosauria (was Re: Resending)

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Mike Taylor wrote:

> Hmm, yeah, sorta.  But he's at least suggestive:
>
>         I need to make some nomenclarural distinctions here.
>         When I say "brontosaur" I'm referring to brontosaurians
>         in general, a huge order of dinosaurs which consist of
>         scores of genera such as _Brachiosaurus_, _Camarasuarus_
>         [sic], _Diplodocus_, _Supersaurus_ and _Brontosaurus_.
>         [Editor's note: Many scientists the order name
>         Sauropoda.]

Bakker also uses the term in his "Brontosaur Killers" paper in Gaia (15: 
145-158).  It was in this paper that he also coins the term "brontophagy" 
for predation upon sauropods!  (Allosaurids were apparently 
"brontophagous".)  However, never (AFAIK) does Bakker explicitly use the 
name Brontosauria.  Instead, "brontosaur" and "brontosaurian" are used by 
Bakker as bywords for "sauropod" - I guess because 
"brontosaur/brontosaurian" is more evocative than the more prosaic term 
"sauropod".

In a similar vein, Paul used the term "sinornithosaur" for broad-feathered 
(and presumably aerial) dromaeosaurs; but he did not apply a taxon name 
"Sinornithosauria".

Cheers

Tim