RE: Caenagnathiformes (toothlessness)

["Ken Kinman" <kinman@hotmail.com>]

    Well, you might be able to argue that Caenagnathus was a misnomer, but 
Caenagnathiformes would mean something like "in the form of a recent 
jaw"---in other words having a toothless jaw like that of a recent bird.  
Therefore, I think it is pretty appropriate.
     The probability that Oviraptor stole eggs seems to me rather remote.  
And the evidence seem to indicate that it was actually brooding the eggs it 
was accused of stealing.  The recently found Deinonychus antirrhopus, also 
with ornithoid eggshells under its belly, shows just how dedicated these 
early birds were to brooding and protecting their eggs (even as they were 
dying).
    We as namers of these forms should name them as accurately as possible. 
 The same goes for Metabacteria (named in 1979), who were given the totally 
inappropriate name "Archaea" in 1990 (and thus a junior synonym on top of 
being a horrible misnomer).  Anyway, we are stuck with Oviraptoridae as a 
family name (unless it is included within Caenagnathidae), but I see no 
reason to perpetuate an extremely doubtful "egg-stealing" misconception by 
naming more inclusive clades on this misnomer.
     We have the opportunity to at least reverse part of this unfortunate 
misconception.  Many generations of biologists may be using these names, and 
we owe it to them to have some foresight and be accurate as possible.  In 
making nomenclatural decisions, I am always looking from several years to 
several decades now the line for the longer term ramifications, trying to 
avoid situations like "ornithischians" being convergent with Class Aves 
which possess the true bird ischia.  The labels we give things do have 
ramifications down the line.
           ------- Ken Kinman
***************************************
Michael wrote:
> Misnomer? Do we know that they DIDN'T steal eggs? No, we only know that it 
> didn't steal the eggs it was sitting on (do we even know THAT?). I don't 
> see how "egg stealer" is any more of a misnomer than recent jaw"... the 
> Judith River is only recent compared to like, the Permian or something.


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