RE: Tethyshadros name issues

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of Tim Williams
>
> Lee Hall <paleeoguy@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > You're really going to bark up this
> > tree?  The name is in print.  It's
> > done.  You're beating a dead horse.
> 
> 
> I guess by "dead horse" you're NOT referring to the 
> _Hyracotherium_ vs _Eohippus_ naming issue.  ;-)

Actually, related to that: work by Freholich and various others has shown
that _Eohippus_ is back.

See especially
Froehlich, D.J. 2002. "Quo vadis eohippus? The systematics and taxonomy of
the early Eocene equids (Perissodactyla)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean
Society 134 (2): 141-256.

Long story short, _Hyracotherium_ in the mid-late 20th Century sense is
paraphyletic with regards to other Equidae (and even other perissodactyl
groups), and the type species of _Eohippus_ is thus "freed" from its
synonymy.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Earth, Life & Time Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite/
Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA