Monkey, salmon, pelican, turtle, cobra, poodle, alligator, eagle, iguana, geraffe, rhinoceros….all have unique names that don’t follow any major sort of naming system. I realize these are the general names and not the true scientific names, but why are so many dinosaurs all named with saurus at the end?
In: Biology
It’s an interesting question, because a while ago the answer would simply have been, “Because that clade of animals is extinct.” Modern genetic studies however suggest that many (or perhaps all) birds and turtles could be in the clade “Sauria”.
But that’s the rub isn’t it? Modern genetic studies come after the naming of these animals, and that’s the real answer right there. If we started naming these groups today based on what we know, that naming would probably reflect that Sauria still exists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauria#Systematics
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