Manos, the Hands of Fate

["Jonathan R. Wagner" <jonathan.r.wagner@mail.utexas.edu>]

A particularly amusing bit of anatomical nomenclature related to the
Maniraptora/ Manuraptora issue (I had to tie it to dinosaurs somehow):

I was flipping through Gaffney's full redescription of Proganochelys, and a
figure label caught my eye... it showed the pectoral autopodia of several
turtles, and was labelled "Maniac of turtles..." as if maniac were the
plural of manus. Now, my Latin is rusty (Mei latina robigatus est), but I
seem to recall that the fourth declension nominative plural is -us (long u),
which would make the correct term "manus." I know WE have had this
discussion on the List before, and Gaffney is a well-educated, observant
fellow unlikely to have accidentally misused the language of science. I must
assume that this is a well-hidden joke that make it past review. I had a
good chuckle...

Wagner