RE: Feduccia (mis)quotes me and mentions the DML in his new book

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

On Wed, Jan 11th, 2012 at 1:29 PM, Paul P <turtlecroc@yahoo.com> wrote:

> >  No, I do not think you get it. In the first instance, it
> > is about professional language: We talk about how ...
> 
> Sorry, who doesn't get what..? Obviously in academics 
> we use language, e.g. when teaching VP or even just 
> discussing something, that laypeople aren't going to 
> use in everyday speech. My issue is/was that some 
> professionals seem to *want* laypeople to start calling 
> birds dinosaurs. Or maybe they're just trying too hard 
> to make a point. 

Given that birds are the only living representatives of the dinosaurs, refering 
to them as such (in 
the present tense at least) is neither incorrect nor particularly confusing. As 
far as extant dinosaurs 
go, there's only one game in town.

In that respect, it is unlike complaining to your neighbour that their mammal 
has defecated on your 
lawn again. You could be refering to their dog, their cat, or even a 
particularly ill-behaved child. If 
their dinosaur has defecated on said lawn, then you know it must be some kind 
of bird (Mokele-
mbembe notwithstanding).

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
Spatial Data Analyst               Australian Dinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia               http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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