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Megapnosaurus?

Posted by michael on from the scientist-humor dept.

Spudley writes: "I was tempted to put this under the humor topic, but I guess it's best here in science. An entertaining article in USA Today tells of how a beetle expert arbitrarily changed the scientific name of a dinosaur from "Syntarsus" (Latin: "fused ankle") to "Megapnosaurus" (Latin: "big dead lizard"). Dinosaur experts are (understandably) kicking up quite a fuss about it."

2 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. Dinosaur scientists should get a sense of humor by Violet+Null · · Score: 4, Insightful

    For those curious about why the renaming is being done by a beetle guy...

    Until now. Entomologist Michael Ivie of Montana State University in Bozeman, one of the scientists who noted that a beetle found in 1869 already had the name Syntarsus, sent a January corrective notice to the insect journal Insecta Mundi.

    Under the rules of scientific nomenclature, Ivie and his colleagues were entitled to rename Syntarsus, as the ones who caught the mistake.

    So you may not like the name. But the guy is following the rules. It's funny. Laugh.

  2. The rules rule by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    The rules rule and the entomologist has done what is expected of him. I have done the same thing and would do it again. The paleontologists were sloppy in not doing there homework first.

    The codes for zoology and botany can be found at:

    Zoology
    http://www.iczn.org/code.htm
    (older [1995] on-line draft at http://zeus.ruca.ua.ac.be/EvolutionaryBiology/coll /doc/iczn4txt.htm)

    Botany
    http://www.bgbm.org/iapt/nomenclature/co de/SaintLo uis/0000St.Luistitle.htm

    and

    http://www.ishs.org/ord/code.htm