Re: Raptor a scientific term for a dinosaur?


"John Wilkins" <j.wilkins1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:ddc2eg$tno$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Joe Felsenstein wrote:
> > In article <dcgccc$he0$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> > Iain <iain_inkster@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >>I recently saw a British television documentary use the word "Raptor"
> >>to describe all dromaeosaurids, including deinonychus. Although it
> >>also includes velociraptor and utahraptor, it technically excludes
> >>oviraptor.
> >>
> >>Isn't this a skewed misleading use of a sci-fi abbreviation?
> >
> >
> > In order to be consistent with previous use, "raptor" should also
> > include hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons. See, for example:
> > http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/
> > I think this even precedes science fiction's use of the term.
> >
> > I presume the documentary didn't use it that way,
> >
> This use goes back a *long* way - Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, King
> of Sicily and Jerusalem (they knew how to have titles in those days!) used it
> in his manual on falconry De Arte Venandi Cum Avibus (The Art of Hunting with
> Birds, 1248ish) to include all hawks, falcons and eagles, as well as owls. I
> don't know the present taxonomy, but owls might still be included ...

Hmmm. I wonder if the term "raptor" includes rocs (as in the tales of
Sinbad in the "Arabian Nights"). If so, in roc-infested locales, one
might see the following bumper sticker on a convertible:
"In case of Raptor, this car will be unmanned."

http://www.matrix2000.co.uk/falconry.htm
http://www.bartleby.com/65/fr/Fred2HRE.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture


.

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