On the naming of Species...

[rasoforos]

I have often expressed criticism about newer trends on giving species their scientific names.

It used to be that most species were given names based on

a) Greco-roman vocabulary

b) Their characteristics

I.e Apatosaurus, Triceratops, Dilophosaurus etc


I have often commented negatively on scientist who do not use this system. This way you end up with Mumbojumbotheria and Hocuspucusauri...

Now I would like to bring to light another case. This chap I am about to mention managed to go the extra mile. By not even checking a dictionary he decided to name his hominid:

Anoiapithecus brevirostris

(From L'Anoia which is aparently a region where the fossil was found)

World say 'Hi' to DementedApe

Ανοια: Gr - Dementia
Πιθηκος: Gr- Ape

We must bring classic education back to schools. We have insulted extinct species enough already!

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

I completely agree with you. That's the economy, they exert pressure to not "waste" time educating people with "superfluous" knowlegde, but taylor-made educate them to their needs. This way the world is getting richer and richer on ignorant fools who don't know anything of the world, but specialise greatly in an otherwise completely irrelevant sub-topic.

There is nothing that can beat good old humanistic education.

[Ibrahim]

Actually, It has little to do with the educational system; paleoanthroppologists and pleontologists do not specifically rely on greek and latin: e.g Khaan, jeghizkhan, bambiraptor, berberosaurus, camelotia, and so on; as long as you know what the intent of the meaning is, its ok.

am I or you or anyone else to review every last name to avoid funy puns? if so, I can say ban the name Caleb, as it sounds a lot like kalb=dog. (yes, I know that the word is derived from hbrew for "dog")

If I ever discover a dinosaur, I'll name it after my mom, and as long as loriesaura is approved in a peer reviewed science journal or other means, its ok. I/paleontologists won't care for any coincidental meanings.

but yeah, the educational system stinks big time.

[Maion Maroneios]

Indeed rasoforos, I must agree with you. The overall level of education is falling dramatically AFAIK. That is why, all sciences try and find ways to attract students towards their subjects so that they can be taught and their servises put to good use. Frankly, it seems we haven't yet found a middle way, meaning we are either too strict, or way too "modern". Both are bad, with the latter an insult to Science itself.

ΜΕΤΡΟΝ ΑΡΙΣΤΟΝ (no, the "PAN" is a pleonasm )

Maion

[Aemilius Paulus]

Indeed rasoforos, I must agree with you. The overall level of education is falling dramatically AFAIK.

That is what they said every generation since the dawn of time... And people still say it xP

[Maion Maroneios]

That is what they said every generation since the dawn of time... And people still say it xP

Hardly doubt that. Classrooms 20 years before had good and bad students, as happens now. The difference was that the former outnumbered the latter, plus the bad ones were made fun of, not the good ones which are called "nerds" today.

Maion

[rasoforos]

paleoanthroppologists and pleontologists do not specifically rely on greek and latin: e.g Khaan, jeghizkhan, bambiraptor, berberosaurus, camelotia, and so on; as long as you know what the intent of the meaning is, its ok.

am I or you or anyone else to review every last name to avoid funy puns? if so, I can say ban the name Caleb, as it sounds a lot like kalb=dog. (yes, I know that the word is derived from hbrew for "dog")

If I ever discover a dinosaur, I'll name it after my mom

Certainly but if you choose to go for a composite word then I believe it is best practice to ensure that it does not mean something offensive or ridiculous in one or the other language. You must agree that the case I mentioned is rather embarrassing.

Loriesaura does not mean anything strange by the way so by all means go out there and discover yourself a dinosaur :-)

[Ibrahim]

Certainly but if you choose to go for a composite word then I believe it is best practice to ensure that it does not mean something offensive or ridiculous in one or the other language. You must agree that the case I mentioned is rather embarrassing.

Loriesaura does not mean anything strange by the way so by all means go out there and discover yourself a dinosaur :-)

maybe, if one is to protect names from being offensive to all languages, but consider this:

nyctosaurus by your definition ought to be banned/replaced because it has an offensive arabic verb (nycto- sounds like niktoh= I * him), with the whole, according to arabic vernacular grammar, would mean "I the lizard"

or kotasaurus; kot- in this name sounds a lot like kos/ koth, which is arabic vernacular for , so the whole is " the lizard"


or haramiya, which sounds like haramiyya which means "crook; criminal ; thief"

and yes, all of them are real names-look them up.

in fact, quite a few binomial names would have to be deleted/redone so as not to offend Arabs, especially the more clever ones like myself. the point is simply: you're going to make something offensive eventually to someone. no point worrying about the names-heck, you can make jokes about them if you ever get bored-I use to do that in school all the time.

besides "demented ape" is more funny than offensive.

*I'm tired of getting warnings over stuff that isn't deliberately offensive. so I just put juggle smileys in their place. arabic words are excluded for demonstration purposes. (and no that statement is not a breech of rules )

[rasoforos]

nyctosaurus by your definition ought to be banned/replaced because it has an offensive arabic verb (nycto- sounds like niktoh= I * him), with the whole, according to arabic vernacular grammar, would mean "I the lizard"

Actually this sounds quite nice (like vulgar old me naming a dinosaur)

You missed my point though. He chose to use a composite word from greek and I think it would be best practice to check whether the first (non greek) part is not offensive or otherwise misleading.

Similarly, if he had named the species using an Arabic composite word then Nycto(insert arabic for lizzard here) would be as you say a very poor choice.

I still feel bad for the ape. Like extinction was not enough...