Talk:Veratalpa/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: Casliber (talk · contribs) 10:50, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

~~Intriguing article - from reading I am not sure, are all the six species from the one locality of Vieux Collonges? Is there any information at all about the fossil bed(s)?~~

Vieux-Collonges is a very rich fissure filling site that has yielded thousands of fossils, including all of Ameghino's "moles". Do you think we need more information on it in this article? I think we cover it reasonably already. Ucucha 11:39, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The above isn't mentioned in it at all - I think adding " very rich fissure filling site that has yielded thousands of fossils" or words to that effect would be a good addition. Currently the article has nothing but the name and the fact some molelike fossil bits were found in it. Casliber (talk · contribs) 12:32, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I added something. Ucucha 12:42, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Much better. Casliber (talk · contribs) 12:54, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I can supply a Latin translation a bit later -I think it is vera "old" and Talpa "mole" - will double check when I can get my dictionary (I'll make sure I get page numbers).

It actually means "true mole"—ironic, isn't it? ("Old" is vetus; verus means "true".) But I don't think we should be giving the etymology when no source gives it; for all we know, Ameghino could have really liked a girl named Vera. Ucucha 11:39, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Duh, I realised that when I just looked it up - pages 593 and 638 of my Cassell's Latin Dictionary. - I am pretty sure he meant "true mole", well, the Talpa is 100% clear anyway. Casliber (talk · contribs) 12:32, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

~~A sentence about the age (i.e. earliest fossil record of) Talpidae would be good for some context.~~

I'm not sure—it's probably not a mole, after all. Ucucha 11:39, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Good point. ~~Incidentally, if it isn't a mole, has anyone speculated on what else it might be?~~ astragalus is a cool bone, someone found an Allosauroid one near Melbourne - the first evidence of a big dino predator in Australia....Casliber (talk · contribs) 12:32, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Rodent, according to Hutchison, but nothing more specific has been suggested as far as I know. It doesn't look much like a rice rat humerus, at least. Ucucha 12:42, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

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