User talk:Sheep81

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Archives
/ArchiveUno - 2006 /ArchiveDos - 2007

1 happy Mango season
2 Welcome back!
3 Achillobator
4 Nyarghhhhh and assorted other squicky sounds
5 Dinosauria Common
6 Re: Thomas Carr (paleontologist)
7 Hi
8 Thank you for the wonderful discussion defining a dinosaur
9 Avian dinosaurs?
10 Image map - thanks!
11 Gorgosaurus
12 Naming Dinosaurs

[edit] happy Mango season

'TIS MANGO SEASON....
Have a shlice of mango cheek...well, I am up to my armpits in the things. Yuletide means lots and lots of mangos, as well as turkey and ham and ice-cream and pressies. Were on special so I bought 3 crates for AU$20 and now I have both crispers in the refrigerator full and even with everyone eating two of the ##$@& things every mealtime... I am a bit mangoed out so I thought I'd spread the goodwill around....cheers, Casliber (talk · contribs) 05:16, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Welcome back!

What the title says. We tried to make sure we didn't burn the place down in your absence. We were partly successful. :) Firsfron of Ronchester 20:29, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Achillobator

Sweet, hadn't seen that, thanks Sheepy! Dinoguy2 (talk) 06:54, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Nyarghhhhh and assorted other squicky sounds

I found this article on Yahoo! News and while the detour into British politics is boring, the first paragraph alone was enough to make me taste vomit in my mouth! Talk about your worst nightmare! Sheep81 (talk) 22:24, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

Separated-at-birth twins get married

LOL! Why on earth would you share this link with me? Unless it is to share in the squickiness. Quick, let's tell Cas. Firsfron of Ronchester 22:41, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

Link sent. Now I hopefully never have to think about that again. The ewww factor is pretty high, but imagine those awkward family reunions! Firsfron of Ronchester 22:55, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Dinosauria Common

Can you check my Dinosauria Common? --4444hhhh (talk) 01:26, 13 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Re: Thomas Carr (paleontologist)

I was more concerned with the fact that he only received his Ph.D. in 2005 and may not have had enough time to establish himself as a leading academic. However, I won't make too much of an issue of it. --Tom (talk - email) 00:53, 20 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Hi

I also think that Thomas Carr is notable... Let me know if I have to vote against its deletion. --Paleofreak (talk) 15:12, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Thank you for the wonderful discussion defining a dinosaur

Sheep & Spencer,

Thank you both for your wonderful clarification of the definition of 'Dinosaur'. There is a philosophical difference between what I call objective definitions and theoretical definitions. However, because the Wikipedia appears to discuss it nowhere, I left it out of my discussion.

It seems to me that whether 'Dinosaur' is an object (nominal or empirical) term or a theoretical (phylogenetic) term wasn't specified when it was first used. It has, I'm sure, been clarified since.

If I picture fluffy, crouched on the sofa, to be a cat, the 'cat' has an objective definition in zoology. The paleontologist hasn't this luxury, because 'hoppy' isn't with us anymore. We give his bones an objective definition and name, but now we give him (his ancestry, appearance, gait, &c) a theoretical definition, based upon 'correspondence rules' which really just connect properties of bones with theoretical inferences.

The practical difference is that names based on objective definitions never change. Zoologists base Fluffy's identity upon such an objective definition, so I know I have a cat. If 'cat' were instead based solely upon his skeleton and claudistics, one day I might learn in the news that the wrong metric was used in a cluster analysis, and fluffy is now a dog.

Paleontology clearly has problems zoology doesn't. But I'm not sure you're both right it using a theoretical definition to name a creature (as opposed to practice in zoology), though its name could change in the future. After all, no one (to my knowledge) has ever patted the skull of a Velociraptor and said 'Good morning, Hoppy!'.

My granddaughter is happy.

Bruce Bathurst, PhD (Geologist) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bruce Bathurst (talk • contribs) 20:58, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Avian dinosaurs?

In the first sentence of your user page you mention avian dinosaurs. I'm no expert but I thought they didn't exist. Pteranodons etc. were not dinosaurs, were they? If any could fly, I would be very interested. Thanks, George D. Watson (Dendodge). (talk) 16:11, 14 February 2008 (UTC) (please reply on my talk page if possible). I am aware of the link between theropods and aves and I understand the concept now. Sorry for wasting your time. Thanks, George D. Watson (Dendodge).Talk^{Help and assistance} 20:07, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Image map - thanks!

Thanks for showing me how to use Extension:ImageMap (at Talk:Tyrannosaurus/). I've just used it in Evolution of mammalian auditory ossicles and it's been a life-saver! Philcha (talk) 19:59, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Gorgosaurus

Hey Sheepy, where were you up to with this one? Had you added all the content you wanted yet? Cheers, Casliber (talk · contribs) 19:43, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

I should add if you are completely happy with the content I can have a go at copyediting and then run it through FAC if you are over the preocess, or can copyedit anyway and you can run it through. Cheers, Casliber (talk · contribs) 01:14, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Naming Dinosaurs

It's Bruce (the kitty-cat specialist). Just wanted to assure your that my recent personal comments on the 'species problem' on the Dinosaur page in no way diminishes the great help you gave me, my granddaughter, and all teachers who consult that article before teaching children about dinosaurs. My comments will likely be removed, but it is very interesting to ask whether making 'dinosaur' a theoretical term is better than defining it traditionally (as animals with all properties a set of specimens have in common). I offer this as something interesting to think about. I think it is; but only a paleontologist 'will know for sure'. Thank you for your excellent, tireless contributions! Geologist (talk) 19:58, 19 March 2008 (UTC)