https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=98.201.111.246&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T07:59:24ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1211:_Birds_and_Dinosaurs&diff=403471211: Birds and Dinosaurs2013-06-11T15:45:17Z<p>98.201.111.246: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1211<br />
| date = May 13, 2013<br />
| title = Birds and Dinosaurs<br />
| image = birds and dinosaurs.png<br />
| titletext = Sure, T. rex is closer in height to Stegosaurus than a sparrow. But that doesn't tell you much; 'Dinosaur Comics' author Ryan North is closer in height to certain dinosaurs than to the average human.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Bird}}s are commonly considered to be a separate {{w|class (biology)|class}} of {{w|tetrapods}}. However, this classification is false according to {{w|phylogenetic taxonomy}}. Taking into account that birds developed around {{w|Late Jurassic|150 million years ago}} out of small {{w|theropod}} dinosaurs, birds are indeed the last representatives of the {{w|Archosauria|dinosaur clade}}. (This premise appeared also in comic [[867]].)<br />
<br />
This relation between birds and dinosaurs is depicted in the comic in a {{w|cladogram}} which shows that ''{{w|Tyrannosaurus rex}}'' is more closely related to the common {{w|sparrow}} than to ''{{w|Stegosaurus}}''. Not only do the former share a phylogenetic branch, but ''T. rex'' also lived around 80 million years ''after'' ''Stegosaurus''. (The concurrence of both species in popular culture is a widespread error.) ''T. rex'' is also much more alike to modern birds than to other dinosaurs in terms of physiognomy. This relationship was pointed out on the [http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6133/690 Science] journal the week of the comic. <br />
<br />
The comic draws the conclusion that if birds must in fact be considered modern dinosaurs, the hunting practice of birds of prey (specifically, the {{w|Peregrine Falcon}}) is consequently a dinosaur fight. For an inveterate dinosaur aficionado like [[Randall]], this fact must make the modern world much more attractive.<br />
<br />
The line "This is a good world." could also possibly refer to a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znxFrgql5dc famous scene] from the {{w|Serenity (Firefly episode)|pilot episode}} of the television series ''{{w|Firefly}}'' featuring two plastic dinosaurs in a somewhat philosophic dialogue. Randall is known to be a {{w|Browncoat|fan of the series}}.<br />
<br />
The title text is a sidesweep to the webcomic ''[http://www.qwantz.com Dinosaur Comics]'' drawn by Ryan North, who stands 6'6" (198 cm) tall. The title text of the ''Dinosaur Comics'' [http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=2420 strip] from the same day as this comic, in turn, refers to Randall and ''xkcd''.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:By any reasonable definition, ''T. rex'' is more closely related to sparrows than to ''Stegosaurus''.<br />
:[Diagram showing that ''Stegosaurus'' came earlier than ''T. rex'', along with it showing that ''T. rex'' came closer in time to sparrows. Evaluation criteria "separation by time", "phylogenetic distance" and "physical similarity" are highlighted in red.]<br />
:Birds aren't ''descended'' from dinosaurs, they ''are'' dinosaurs.<br />
:Which means that the fastest animal alive today is a small carnivorous dinosaur, ''Falco peregrinus''.<br />
:[A picture of two birds is shown.]<br />
:It preys mainly on other dinosaurs, which it strikes and kills in midair with its claws.<br />
:[In red:] This is a good world.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Firefly]]</div>98.201.111.246https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:720:_Recipes&diff=27107Talk:720: Recipes2013-02-03T17:59:22Z<p>98.201.111.246: Created page with "are you sure it's mepls? looks like the A and the L just overlap a bit... ~~~~mr"</p>
<hr />
<div>are you sure it's mepls? looks like the A and the L just overlap a bit... [[Special:Contributions/98.201.111.246|98.201.111.246]] 17:59, 3 February 2013 (UTC)mr</div>98.201.111.246https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1156:_Conditioning&diff=26979Talk:1156: Conditioning2013-02-03T00:03:24Z<p>98.201.111.246: </p>
<hr />
<div>... the main problem with this idea is that the probability of any particular driver to driver repeately around that place is not so high. Of course, if similarly conditioned animals would be on multiple places ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:48, 4 January 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Depending on the animal (species), and assuming a stable or growing "local wildlife" population, the conditioned ones may 1) eventually fan out (including migration) and teach other individuals or 2) breed, teach their offspring, and the offspring will fan out. Eventually -- we can only hope -- the average density EVERYWHERE per square mile of individuals would be above a given threshold to be effective 24/7. Problem solved! --BigMal27 / [[Special:Contributions/192.136.15.177|192.136.15.177]] 12:19, 4 January 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Up the ante in rural areas by using not crumbs, but bacon, or deer musk ... nah, that would be evil.[[Special:Contributions/24.79.11.46|24.79.11.46]] 13:18, 4 January 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If anything this would just get drivers to close their windows and not solve the problem because loud bass still penetrates car windows. {{unsigned|12.235.98.130}}<br />
:If I were a bass-loving driver, I still wouldn't want birds and squirrels (et cetera) coming at my car! Better to kill the "music" or avoid the area. But it appears to be a hollow victory due to the comment below. --BigMal27 / [[Special:Contributions/192.136.15.178|192.136.15.178]] 20:50, 4 January 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The general problem I see: once drivers get educated, animal conditioning has to be kept up, or animals will forget about basses, which would be the exact same nuisance it is trying to address. Otherwise, wildlive would forget to associate basses with food, and thus fail to educate drivers. Kind of a Volterra cycle. Edit: the paragraph before is not mine, someone forgot to sign.[[Special:Contributions/46.142.12.21|46.142.12.21]] 18:59, 4 January 2013 (UTC) madd<br />
<br />
Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but wouldn't attracting lots of animals towards cars with thumping bass lead to a lot more road kill? Which wouldn't really be a desired side-effect of the machine... [[Special:Contributions/46.142.12.21|46.142.12.21]] 18:59, 6 January 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Of course the conditioning has to be kept up! That's why you run the machine while you are AT WORK! --Schmammel<br />
<br />
The side effect of "Road Kill" would also contribute to the desired response... most dirvers who listen to excessive base (music) tend to also not want to hit or splatter an animal across their vehicle (don't see a lot of Pickup Trucks with gun racks thumping out the base) [[User:MIRanger|MIRanger]] ([[User talk:MIRanger|talk]]) MIRanger<br />
<br />
Eh, doubt any drivers would make the connection with their music without, say, explanatory signage ("birds here attack loud cars!")... They'd probably just think the local wildlife went after cars in general. [[Special:Contributions/98.201.111.246|98.201.111.246]] 00:03, 3 February 2013 (UTC)mr<br />
<br />
This: http://www.snopes.com/college/pranks/birdseed.asp</div>98.201.111.246https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:477:_Typewriter&diff=26762Talk:477: Typewriter2013-01-31T22:21:33Z<p>98.201.111.246: Created page with "The spaces are because he's trying to alt-tab. ~~~~mr"</p>
<hr />
<div>The spaces are because he's trying to alt-tab. [[Special:Contributions/98.201.111.246|98.201.111.246]] 22:21, 31 January 2013 (UTC)mr</div>98.201.111.246