Re: Bambiraptor

["Jordan Mallon" <j_mallon@hotmail.com>]

Steve Jackson writes:
> Disagree. If you have any Latin at all, Micropachycephalosaurus is
> perfectly memorable because it is descriptive. Yes, it's a long word; that
> should not make it less memorable, though I admit it's less convenient.

Admittedly, I don't have any Latin whatsoever.  I am just an average 
high-school student with an above average interest in dinosaurs.  This being 
the case, I'm not able to translate every scientific name that I come across 
(although I have learned a little Latin by understanding the roots of some 
dinosaur names).  So, _speaking from a non-expert?s point of view_, 
Bambiraptor is certainly more memorable than Micropachycephalosaurus.  Why?  
Because it is shorter, easier to pronounce, and can be identified with, as 
nearly everyone knows who Disney?s ?Bambi? is.  Again, this is from a 
layman?s point of view.

On the other hand?

I also tend to agree with those who loathe the name ?Bambiraptor? and all 
other non-descriptive tags.  Despite what some people have accused me of, I 
think scientific names should be explanatory to the point that the one 
referring to a name has some idea about what the animal is like, where it 
lived, the story behind it, etc.

> Bambiraptor is memorable, to be blunt, because it's DUMB.

Just out if curiosity, is the name Atlascopcosaurus also dumb because it is 
not ?descriptive??  If it?s a physical description we want, then no, because 
it does not provide even an inkling as to the dinosaur?s characteristics.  
However, I think it is descriptive in that it provides some case history 
into the background of the dinosaur?s discovery (Atlas Copco was the name of 
the company that helped excavate this dino?s bones).  Same case scenario for 
Leaellynasaura (named after the discoverers? daughter) and Bambiraptor (the 
boy who found it nicknamed it Bambi because of it?s small and ?cute? 
appearance).

At any rate, that?s just my view of things.  You may not share the same 
vision as me, but that?s understandable.  I?m just an ignorant teen with a 
simplistic view of things.  To each his own, I say!

- Jordan Mallon
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