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.
They have scales.
>>264524So does a piano.
>>264524>>264525And fish.
>>264524 Most birds have scales on their feet.
They fit all characteristics for reptiles. Also, they already have an entire Order of their own, isn't that enough?
>Reptiles are ... characterized by breathing air, a typically "cold-blooded" (poikilothermic) metabolism, laying tough-shelled amniotic eggs (or retaining the same membrane system in species with live birth), and skin with scales or scutes.deal w/ it
>>264524 The Pangolin has scales, and it's a mammal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archosaur The plot thickens...
>>264533 >Archosaurs (Greek for 'ruling lizards') are a group of diapsid amniotes whose living representatives consist of modern birds and crocodilians. This group also includes pterosaurs and all extinct dinosaurs, as well as several other extinct groups.SUCK ON THAT!
>>264533Well, crocodiles are the closest relatives to the dinosaurs on the reptile side, and birds evolved from dinosaurs, so that's no big suprise.
Humans can produce music and science, something no other ape can do. So why are humans still considered apes?OP is probably troll copypasta from /an/.
>>264536 >Archosaur>Saur>ReptileSUCK ON THAT!
>>264540 Ah! But if we accept Archosaurs as reptiles, we must except birds as reptiles as well.
>>264541 Birds are reptiles. They lay eggs.
>>264542 What's this about eggs?
>>264541But Archosaurs aren't by definiton reptiles.>>264542Go back to school, anon.
>>264543 OBVIOUS REPTILE IS OBVIOUS! >:(
>>264545 If it ends in the suffix "saur" it's a reptile.
Crocs are awesome. And while I would never want to meet one up close and personal (I have a friend who lives in Florida who has to deal with them sometimes) I can't help but love them. The babies make the cutest little sounds ever.
>>264523 Haters gonna hate!
>>264548pic related
>>264550
>>264547By that logic, a lot of dinosaurs would be reptiles. Which they (probably, we can't know for sure) weren't.
>>264551
>>264554
>>264551 See how the baby rides on the adult? That is seen no where else amoung reptiles. All other reptiles bury their eggs in the sand and forget about them.
>>264549 Who is?
>>264557That just means crocodile mommies are good mommies.
>>264559 Carl Linnaeus.
And isn't it funny that this thread was started with a picture of an alligator?
>>264557Look, snakes doesn't have legs (which all other reptiles have), yet they're still classified as reptiles, and you want crocs to get their own class because they know basic childcare?
>>264560 Sort of like how mammal and bird mommies are good mommies?
>>264564Some mammals eat their young. I don't know about birds.
>>264563 No, because they have four chambered hearts, cerebral cortexes, a semi-upright hip posture, and because they know basic child care, all unlike any other reptile, but like mammals and birds.
>>264565Most birds care for their young, but some (like the Cuckoo) lay their egg in other birds nest and trick them to do it for them.
>>264566Look, do you even know how classification works?
>>264568 I do. I simply beleve that crocodillians deserve their own classification.
>>264561 Who's spinning in his grave by the way.
>>264570But why? Classes are a very general thing, just look at what huge variations can be found within the mammal class, and crocs fit all criteria for Reptiles, so why is it even neccecary?
>>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.