Crocodillians are more closly related to brids and mammals then they are too snakes, lizards, or turtles. They have a four chambered heart. They have a Cerebral cortex. They have a semi-upright hip posture, and they engage in more parental care than any other reptile. So why are they still considered "reptiles"? The other members of that grouping are only distantly related to them. I suggest they be given a new class all their own. The current taxonomic classification of them as "reptiles" is just ridiculous.
>>264571From people getting the biology wrong or getting his name wrong?
Why the fuck are you arguing with a troll...
>>264572 All mammals share a common ancestry, all birds share a common ancestry, but crocs split from reptiles around the same time as mammals and birds did. If they are no closer related to a lizard then a mammal is, then why is a mammal it's own class, and a crocodillian not?
>>264575 Because he actually makes some interesting points... Everything he's said thus far about crocs is true except the whole "not reptiles" thing.
>>264566They fit under the current classification for reptiles that Senor outlined up there somewhere. The scientific community recognizes with the more people learn about biology the more outdated we realize Linnaeus's system is, but we use it for now because the complete overhaul it needs would be time consuming and difficult for people to accept if it was just sprung on them. Just look at the time they had trying to get Americans to switch to metric.
>>264576But they are closer to reptiles than mammals, and mammals got to be an own class because they don't fit in the classification for reptile (which, for the third time, crocs do).Also, 'Common ancestry' isn't an argument, since every single species on this planet have common ancestry if you go back far enough.
>>264579 BITCH YOU DID NOT JUST CALL MY LIFE'S WORK "OUTDATED"! IS KARL VON GONNA HAVE TO BUST A CAP?!?!?!?
>>264582 I'm sorry what was that? I can't hear you over the fact that I have both reptillian and avian characteristics.
This thread made me lol.
Someone post the YouTube video already. You know the one. It's already stuck in my head. Jazz will love you for it.
>>264585 Which one was that?
>>264586Interior crocodile alligator
Nature has a habit of making rude gestures at common sense. Example: the hippo's closest living relatives are whales and porpoises.>>264580>Also, 'Common ancestry' isn't an argument, since every single species on this planet have common ancestry if you go back far enough.When people talk about common ancestry, they mean the most recent common ancestor of members of a phenotypically similar group.
>>264585I have no idea why it wasn't posted before!For the record, who ever posted the wiki link for the Archosaur, the listed class is "Reptile".Who cares about why Crocodiles are listed as Reptiles, aside from the fact that they look like reptiles.Look at all the incredible different things in Mammalia. We've got bats (Strangely, they're closely related to apes and canine I think, and not rodents), we've got marsupials, Platypuses, Pangolins, etc etc.Mammal, reptile, these are all just very broad terms that don't matter as much as, say, the sub-class, order, etc etc, all the other little things that go to classifying a species.>>264579>>get Americans to switch to metric.You'll never get us to accept that communist femanazi bullshit.
"The Salamander's Tale" by Richard Dawkins. Read it. It talks about how our classification of species is largely arbitrary-arbitrary meaning "not based on a statute, but on judgement". Crocodilians have some mammalian characteristics and some reptilian ones. Someone just decided to classify them as reptiles because they look like reptiles, and and no one has felt strongly enough about it to try and get them re-classified. If all the Cynodonts and Therapsids were still around, we might categorize crocs differently. Now baby crocodilians. "Weee! Faster mom! Weeee!"
>>264619It's a babby! Look at his wittle baby legs omg. Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii
"Hi. Momma here. I really don't care how you fuckers classify my shit. You're still pretty wrong. You argue over what animal belongs under the title of 'series of squeaks and yips here', and I just laaaaugh and laaaaugh.""Though these folks have a nice idea. " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cladistics
>>264602 that is going to be stuck in my head for ever now.
>>264622=D
Rheobatracus was here, frogs are cuter than crocodiles.
>>264625I am so gay for cladistics.
Did someone say babby croc noises?
>>264632Wait... Is that you Amanda?
I suspect a troll. Trust me, I'm an expert on this matter.
>>264636...What, me or the video?
Someone needs to shop little santa hats on these guys. "Fa la la la la, la la la laaaaa!"
>>264626Good. Because it's always in my head. Every night before I sleep, when I sit down to eat, on the faces of people I meet, I hear the ghastly call.INTERIOR CROCODILE ALLIGATOR. I DRIVE A CHEVROLET MOVIE THEATER.
>>264629Yo dawg. We heard you like frogs.
>>264640You are not Amanda.
>>264547You sure about that?
A lot Reptiles and birds have common ancestors. Raptors had feathers.
>CROCODILES>TAXONOMY>BABBY CROCCIESWHERE HAS THIS THREAD BEEN ALL MY LIFE? :D :D :D
>>264666I'm sorry :(
Say troll again. I dare you. I double dare you, motherfucker.
>>264726Trollu.
>>264666No, it isn't. And don't throw names around you troglodyte.
>>264741You need to leave Ferrous Fellow alone, Mr. Crabby-pants.
>>264741Oh that's alright. He can call me Amanda (tee hee~) if he wants too :3
>>264741Don't mess with him man, he's got 2d8 HD and a giant constitution score, plus special qualities.
>>264748...that's the weirdest thing.My friends where just talking about that scene from Bambi.
>>264632More like this, but still cute.
>>264602 That croc is pimping. Look at him rock that semi upright hip posture transitional between reptilian sprawling hip posture and mammalian and dinosaurian fully upright hip posture.
>>264813 Semi upright hip posture is the pimpinest hip posture.
>>264814 forget you foo. Pillar-erect for life!
OP you dumb fuck, classification goes by genetics. You only use morphology when genetics aren't an option such as with fossils.
>>264825Not always. Reproductive isolation and morphology are still used when it's inconvenient to do genetics in the field.
>>264815looks like some sort of giant robot transformation sequence.
Bump for more crocs.
>>264825Not always. Chimpanzees are genetically closer related to homo sapiens than donkeys are to horses, but are considered a separate genus.
Video related.