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RE: Specific names

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Jaime A. Headden
>
> <(Avimimus) portentosus>
>
>   "fortuitous bird mime"

In this case, "portentosus" is meant as "portent", as in "hinting at things
to come" (i.e., modern style birds).  Of course, it is hard for a
Maastrichtian dinosaur to be foreshadowing events which had already
happened... :-)

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796