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RE: Enantiornithine or enantiornithean?


Mickey,
Enantiornithine does pose a potential problem that the other examples do not, because it is a typified name (based on a generic name). When I first saw this spelling, subfamily automatically popped into my head (luckily the context made it clear that it was not referring to a subfamily). For this case in particular, I would agree than Enantiornithean is preferable.
I see little potential problem with tetranurine, ornithurine, or neornithine, but would personally prefer tetranuran, ornithuran, and neornithean. But if you use either variant (or even another slightly different variant ending), anyone familiar with these clades will know what you mean.
-----Ken Kinman
****************************************************** 
From: "Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>
Reply-To: tholtz@geol.umd.edu
To: <Mickey_Mortimer@email.msn.com>, <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Subject: RE: Enantiornithine or enantiornithean?
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 08:43:46 -0400

  -----Original Message-----
  From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
Mickey_Mortimer


  Here's a question for you all.  What is the correct way to refer to a
member of the Enantiornithes?  I see most authors use enantiornithine, but
Mike Keesey points out that this creates confusion if one were to be
discussing a member of the Enantiornithinae (if it ever exists, it's
officially implied by the existance of an Enantiornithidae).  He suggests
using enantiornithean.  The same situation arises for the Tetanurae,
Ornithurae, Neornithes and Avialae.  I see tetanuran, ornithurine,
neornithine and avialan most commonly used, but which is proper?  Anyone
have any opinions and reasons why one form should be used over the other?



The "traditional" vernacular versions would be "tetanurine", "ornithurine",
"neornithine" and "avialian".  However, "tetanuran" does get used a lot,
too.  However, I don't recall seeing ornithological literature old or new
that use "ornithurean" or "ornithuran".

                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

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