Re: Mesozoic-ware

[pharrinj@PLU.edu]

On Sat, 13 Jan 1996, Jeff Poling wrote:

> At 11:21 PM 1/12/96 -0500, MMraptor@aol.com wrote:
> >Have you thought about calling it Mesozoic-ware? The only thing that these 
> >animals seem to have in common is that they lived in the Mesozoic era 
> 
>    If I'm not mistaken, Dimetrodon did not make it past the paleozoic.
> 
> >(as I personally 
> >believe very strongly that dinosaurs are *not* reptiles.
> 
>    Dinosaurs certainly are reptiles.

Which definition of "reptile" are you using?  If you mean "amniote minus 
synapsid," I think "sauropsid" would be a better choice.  "Reptile" is 
too connotationally loaded (cold-blooded, scaly, low-energy, egg-laying, 
etc.).  Dinosaurs certainly were not "reptiles" in the vernacular sense 
of the word.

     Nick Pharris
     Pacific Lutheran University