tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post5193184885934541006..comments2024-01-17T19:32:13.920-08:00Comments on Prehistoric Beast of the Week: Dinosaurs Among Us at the American Museum of Natural HistoryChris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-47433971511249636942016-11-28T12:18:26.908-08:002016-11-28T12:18:26.908-08:00I don't mean to say that classification isn...I don't mean to say that classification isn't important. But the answer to "When can I call something a non-avian dinosaur or bird?" isn't in the grand scheme of things. Like stated, all the telltale bird characteristics can each be found in other kinds of dinosaurs so it's difficult to pinpoint...and that's cool. :)Chris DiPiazzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-45656189598180758772016-11-25T09:35:59.611-08:002016-11-25T09:35:59.611-08:00"My first interaction with the Yutyrannus was..."My first interaction with the Yutyrannus was a bit rocky. We're cool now, though." :D<br /><br />This is great stuff. My only quibble comes toward the end, with this response to the question of what defines birds as a distinct group within dinosaurs: "The answer to this is as frustrating as it is beautiful; We don't know! And to put it bluntly...we shouldn't really care. Nature has nothing to do with which label we put on which organism. They evolve to survive and the process just is what it is." That last bit is certainly true, but it is also true that classification--as imperfect as it is--is a tremendously useful way to make sense of our world. Without it, we couldn't talk about dinosaurs at all, and where would we be then?Daniel Dvorkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01899158517966852736noreply@blogger.com