Sunday, March 29, 2009

Polymorphism, Intraspecific Variation, Dimorphism, Covariation

A few terms that at first seem to be self explanatory. The first two seem to be interchangeable as do the last two. Reading a paper the other day, the title used one term but the body of the paper was filled with the other term. Could someone fill me in on the correct usage of these four terms, are they really all about the same. For years an ammonite was an ammonite until I found out that some were ammonoids, actually all are ammonoids and I was just using the wrong term for the whole group. It just took an explanation... like the one I am looking for now.
There are a few posts in this blog labeled with the term "Polymorphism", this term seems to have a deeper meaning than I was intending, so from now on this term will be replaced with "Intrapsecific variation", though not as snazzy sounding it probably is more in line with my intended meaning.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

More from 3-21-09 Field Trip

Alex, in the center,
watching as I uncovered the big one.
He likes ammonites as much as I do.

this is the sign Alex had pinned to his pack. A future Paleontologist for sure?

Looking for Prionocyclus at Stop 2


Looking for Scaphites at Stop 1


Sunday, March 22, 2009

3-21-09 Field Trip

Jim Kirkland, State Paleontologist, holding the large Placenticeras syrtale

Folks admiring another large ammonite


Wraping up some of the peices of the big one


Thursday, March 12, 2009

Albuquerque Museum Ordovician Nautiloids

Types of a few Orthocones

Plectolites major unpublished paratype from near Ibex

The collection cabinets

Me and John

The type of Cacheoceras uninodum