Re: Bambiraptor

["Steve Brusatte" <dinoland@mailcity.com>]

Jordan Mallon wrote:

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

How about Qantasaurus, named after the Australian airline?  To a lesser extent, 
what about dinosaurs and other creatures named after mythical figures, like the 
recently named Jobaria?  Sereno and his colleagues named this sauropod after a 
mythical figure of Tuareg tradition (and the name that the nomads gave the 
dinosaur bones).  Is this 'unscientific', too?  Or, are these names dumb?

Steve

Dino Land Paleontology http://www.geocities.com/stegob



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