Re: small dinosaurs with feathers

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

> From: StephanPickering@cs.com

> Dinosaurs are dinosaurs are dinosaurs. Is there confusion in this?

No.  Just in your refering to all birds as extant dinosaurs/theropods at all 
times.  As I said earlier, and as my friend John Conway expounded, "bird" is 
just as valid a term as dinosaur, amniote, or tetrapod.

> I hardly think it "confusing" to refer to living theropods as
> theropod dinosaurs

Oh, it's not all too confusing; I understand what you're saying.  But why 
not just call them birds - afterall, that's what they are.  It's like 
refering to a car as "a four-wheeled, manual steering transporation device." 
 Go around saying that for a while and people will think you're loonie.

> The vernacular word "bird" cannot be suppressed, to be sure, as the 
> >intellectually challenged cling to it like children cling frantically >to 
> their favourite blanket and binkie.

Try telling that to an ornithologist.  "Intellectually challenged"?  
Harumph!  I would imagine there are more brilliant people than either you or 
I out there who would still make use of the term.

> I choose to ignore the word "bird" because extant, avialian theropods 
> >cannot -- repeat: cannot -- be diagnosed without, first, recognizing 
> >them as dinosaurs.

So what?  Dinosaurs cannot -- repeat: cannot -- be diagnosed without first 
recognizing them as archosaurs, diapsids, amniotes, etc.  Why does the term 
"extant dinosaur/theropod" hold any precedence?

> If you do not like my use of "dinosaur" for extant avialian theropod >taxa, 
> then you can genuflect before the shadow of Barney and Godzilla >because, 
> as it stands, you are revealing more about your juvenality >than about 
> dinosaurs.

You could have just said "bow," just as you could just use the word "bird."

Jordan Mallon

http://www.geocities.com/paleoportfolio/
AIM: jslice mallon

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