why do taxonomist dislike the word reptile?
463912
More than likely because their evolutionary record makes them the sole ancestors of birds, mammals, and modern reptiles. This makes the evolutionary classification of these animals hard: should we put mammals in the reptile clade? what about birds (actually, we already have agreed that birds are reptiles; nonetheless, there were huge debates before they were put in the reptile clade)? Really, the whole matter is a big headache.
1001893
"clam"?\n"flavor"?\n\nWTF? Of course they rejected it, no one wants "idiot" flavor anything.
418542
Pterosaurs do indeed rock.\n\nBut my favorite Mesozoic creatures are the ammonites.  I love those shells with their complicated septa (dividers) inside!  So beautiful, so mysterious.\n\nWhy are they extinct?  WHY?  *sniff*\n\nI'm also fond of a reptile (like the pterandons, not a dinosaur) called Longisquamus.  I just like to say Longisquamus.  It's neat!  It's got huge... somethings sticking out of it's back.  We don't really know what, skin flaps maybe.  It looks weird, what more do you want out of an extinct animal?  :-)
875532
If you are capable enough, actually get a reptile, you will attract your science class enormously. Let them touch it and feed it. Make your class jot down reptile's physical features, what they are used for and make them have a guess what the reptile food chain is. You may want to add some additional information on anphibians, because lots of people don't know the difference between the two alike species.
1134898
It is based on sounds, as the above people said.\n\n"Terrifying Pterodactyls" is alliteration, but "Three" doesn't alliterate with that - "Two" or "Twelve" would, however.\n\nHope that helps...
669371
Herpetophobia (Greek herpeton = to ramp and phobia = fear) is the phobia of reptiles, amphibians or other crawly things. Herpetophobia can be cured through hypnosis or by repeatedly approaching reptiles or frogs to gain confidence until the fear has been overcome entirely. Ophidiophobia is the specific fear of snakes. It can cause nausea and panic attacks and irregular heartbeat. Can be received by watching a TV or movie event when a reptile attacks someone. Also the fear of creepy-crawly things
50200
It is one think to use a derrogatory term to describe a person...but it is another to call something what it is.  If I see a cat it's a cat not a feline-mammal.\nAmericans have offended people for so long, I guess they are finally tying to fix their screw up.  But they've ended up making the situation worse.
178314
I like the word "truculent."  It means "fiercely savage."  How could you NOT like a word that means that?\n\nAlso, it just rolls off your tongue....say it with me....truculent....\n\n(it should sound like you're saying "truck you lint" but all together)\n\nI also like the word "spifftacular."  As in, "Truculent is a rather spifftacular word."
1147098
Aditi, do you realise that you can append these clarifications to your original question? Simply re-open that question and you should have the option of adding new information. That way you will get much better responses because people will tend to follow the same question over time. Notice how many answers you got to your first question?\n\n\nAnyway, to address this question, Bryophyta is still universally accepted.  Pteridophyta is still in common use although you will often see Pterophyta used in preference since it excludes the lycophytes, horsetails and other non-fern seedless vascular plants.\n\nI haven't seen Thallophyta used even in passing in anything published in the past 20 years. It has been replaced with at least 7 Divisions of fungi 5 or more Divisions of algae.\n\n>>>EDIT\n\nI don't know how much more specific you would like me to be. I have told you in very simple terms that Pteridophyta and Bryophyta are still in use but that Thallophyta hasn't been in use for over two decades. How much more specific can I get?\n\nI have no idea what an ICSE is besides the International Conference on Software Engineering.\n\nI am a professional botanist and I haven't seen anyone refer to Thallophyta for over 20 years. I only know the term myself from very old journal articles and textbooks. That is why I am astounded that someone your age is familiar with the term. \n\nI just did a Google search and every single page returned says "defunct classification" or "Used only in former classifications" and similar. IOW every web page says that the term is no longer in use. Itis defunct, deceased, no longer valid. It is an ex-parrot.  If you don't believe me you can put the word into Google yourself. \n\nThe most recent article that uses the term "Thallophyta" that I can find using Synergy is dated 1984.\n\nThe term Thallophyta is quite clearly defunct and no longe rin use.\n\nAs for your textbook, well school textbooks are quite often inaccurate and out of date. It costs money to update books and school boards buy from the cheapest bidder. It's a sad fact of life.\n\nIn the real world Thallophyta is not in use by anyone anywhere to the best of my klnowledge. Nobody considers fungi, bacteria and algae to share any evolutionary relationships that aren't also shared with camels and coconuts.\n\nIs that specific enough for you?\n\n\n>>>>>EDIT II\n\nThe term Cryptogam is very, very vague. It has no real meaning to botanists but we still use it as a convenient way of referring to "lower" plants. It's very sloppy of us since no classification systems actually uses it.\n\nWhen we speak of cryptogams we are really referring to anything that photosynthesises that doesn't produce seeds. So the term tends to encompass lichens and algae as well bryophytes and pteridophytes.\n\nSorry I can't be any clearer on this point but really they shouldn't be teaching this term to HS students. It is taxonomically even more obsolete than "thallophyte" and will probably only confuse you.\n\nThe only simple answer is that "cryptogam" is an informal term that means whatever the user intends it to mean and can include ferns, mosses lichens alage and occasionally even fungi.
1139446
You have quoted scripture and it answers your question right there.    I did try to type the word in and quess what....YA just put all astericks in place of the word so I guess they think it is a cuss word but it is indeed the term used to describe the animal Jesus rode on.  Talk about censorship....
414344
It is a simplistic measure of its biodiversity.  Much more sophisticated measures exist, however.
177903
I think a Alligator is a different Genus, and that physically A crocodile has a pointy snout, whereas a alligator has a round one. Hope it helps.
884047
You know, most of the world's animal species do not have common names.  Only those that average folks are fairly well aquainted with end up with common names.  Most vertebrates have common names, but most invertebrates don't, except those that are popular with many people, like butterflies.
199570
The F word is Anglo Saxon.  Most others are corruptions of body parts.  My favourite is my old grandad's: 'Bad cess to you'.   It took me a long time to figure it out, but the cess is as in cesspit.
385063
Yes because they are reptiles.\n\nI could wax lyrical for pages and pages (see above) and you raise an excellent point about vertebrae, however thay are reptiles.
667981
Hippopotamuses (hippopotami is also accepted as a plural form by the OED)\n\nhipo and hipos seems simpler \n;)
584962
komodo dragon i think? but then i'd never heard of the other one. although...the person that wrote dinosaur is right to an extent...although they're not really lizards. another although coming up...trying to think...can't...going...out...:) i'm going to answer more of your questions. :)