Re: Symbiosis, Dinosaurs and Birds

[Christopher Srnka <theclaw@sprintmail.com>]

PTJN@aol.com wrote:

In a message dated 10/5/98 7:02:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
theclaw@sprintmail.com writes:

<< Why, the subject of my original query, of course!-Chris Srnka >>

Cute.  But if you were as clear a writer as you think you are, I would never
have needed to inquire.  Judging from the content of your "original" query, I
assume you meant that the discussion on this list should be limited to non-
avian dinosaurs.  I had a hard time believing you were serious. But perhaps
you were....

Whoa! Easy there! My original query, if I remember correctly, was (paraphrased),
"Is there, or rather, can there have been evidence gleaned from fossil
specimens that could suggest dinosaurian symbiosis?" I suppose to make
matters clearer, I could have specifically said, "in particular, adaptations
in extinct non-avian dinosaurs which would suggest, at the least, a parasitic
tendency, since some behaviors are obviously difficult to interpret from
fossils." Most of the people who responded to the post understood me correctly;
one person replied that we can observe symbiotic relationships in avian
dinosaurs, i.e.. birds, today, to which yet another list member responded
with a controlled rant against the inclusion of modern avian dinosaurs
in an answer to a query which concerned fossils.
I agreed with the latter assessment, in particular in regards to the response
to my particular question, and then you came in. Did you read all of the
other posts? Are you in the habit of interpreting a single, nine-word sentence
as evidence that people are arrogant and think they are better writers
than they are? I'm not a great writer, and I won't pretend to be. My response
to your post was not malicious in intent; I had incorrectly assumed that
you had been following the thread, and wanted clarification regarding what
application the previously mentioned conditions (i.e.., the exclusion of
modern avian dinosaurs from consideration in formulating an answer to my
question). I'm sorry for having incurred your wrath, and I will endeavor
to state future inquiries as clearly as possible.
In all seriousness, Chris Srnka