Re: Re: DEFENSIVE RINGS AGAIN

["Nicholas J. Pharris" <pharrinj@PLU.edu>]

On Mon, 22 Jan 1996, JCMcL wrote:

> > CARNIVORA?!?!? Since when did any ceratopsian have to deal with the
> > Carnivora?  These johnny-come-lately theropod wannabes weren't much of a
> > threat in the Mesozoic...
> > 
> > Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
> 
> Maybe Thos. here thinks by "carnivora" that I mean the mammalian order 
> Carnivora, a Meateater-with-a-proper-name, as opposed to the generalized 
> "meat-eater" with a lower-case c.
> 
> I meant a meat-eater with a lower-case c, which in upper Mesozoic times 
> would be a theropod of some sort, rather than a cat, dog, hyaenid, etc.  
> If one uses a capital C here, one means a mammalian meat-eater of a 
> certain order.  
> 
> There were no such animals in the Mesozoic, but there were plenty of very 
> efficient carnivora, believe you me!
> 

Then how about using the more general "carnivores?"  (also better Latin)

"Carnivora," even with a small "c," refers to mammalian carnivores with 
carnassial teeth (all descendants of the last common ancestor of Tom and 
Fido, for all you cladist types).  With a small "c," it refers to 
individual members of the order, while with a big "c" it refers to the 
order as a whole.

Nick Pharris
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
(206)535-8204
PharriNJ@PLU.edu

"If you can't convince them, confuse them." -- Harry S. Truman