636: Brontosaurus - Revision history

FaviFake: +Category:Animals; +Category:Turtles using HotCat

2025-07-28T11:08:47Z

+Category:Animals; +Category:Turtles using HotCat

50.46.172.115: /* Explanation */ correction

2025-06-30T22:20:59Z

‎Explanation: correction

FaviFake: added Category:Dinosaurs using HotCat

2024-11-07T18:06:44Z

added Category:Dinosaurs using HotCat

1234231587678 at 19:54, 18 March 2024

2024-03-18T19:54:07Z

42.book.addict at 17:14, 27 February 2024

2024-02-27T17:14:49Z

172.70.162.155: /* Explanation */

2022-07-13T11:06:36Z

‎Explanation

Drkaii: /* Explanation */

2022-07-13T10:21:13Z

‎Explanation

Drkaii: /* Explanation */

2022-07-13T10:18:43Z

‎Explanation

Davidy22: Reverted edits by Explain xkcd server admin (talk) to last revision by Jacky720

2022-05-21T02:53:44Z

Reverted edits by Explain xkcd server admin (talk) to last revision by Jacky720

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Explain xkcd server admin at 21:54, 20 May 2022

2022-05-20T21:54:56Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 11:08, 28 July 2025
Line 37:		Line 37:
	[[Category:Apatosaurus]]		[[Category:Apatosaurus]]
	[[Category:Dinosaurs]]		[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
		+	[[Category:Animals]]
		+	[[Category:Turtles]]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-[[Megan]] describes her relationship to [[Cueball]] with the simile "our love is like a turtle," a comparison often made when referring to a shy and slowly developing yet steady sort of romance. However, Cueball thinks that the ''{{w|Brontosaurus}}'' is a better comparison. His explanation refers to the fact that remains of a certain [[wikipedia:Apatosaurinae|apatosaurine]] were initially named ''{{w|Brontosaurus excelsus}}'' by the paleontologist {{w|Othniel Charles Marsh|O.C. Marsh}} in 1879. This species was later determined in 1903 to be in the same {{w|genus}} as ''{{w|Apatosaurus ajax}}'', which Marsh had named two years before ''B. excelsus'': the older genus name is preferred according to convention (making the preferred binomial ''Apatosaurus excelsus''). The term ''Brontosaurus'' therefore became a scientific redundancy (a so-called junior synonym), and had this status at the time of this comic's release. Due to the correct skull for an apatosaurine not being confirmed [http://static.peerj.com/press/previews/2015/04/857_infographic_no_text.pdf until 1978], the term "brontosaurus" had in the meantime become popularly associated with an apatosaurine depicted with a speculative ''{{w|Camarasaurus}}''-like head, hence the "mistaken combination" mentioned in the comic.
+[[Megan]] describes her relationship to [[Cueball]] with the simile "our love is like a turtle," a comparison often made when referring to a shy and slowly developing yet steady sort of romance. However, Cueball thinks that for their love the ''{{w|Brontosaurus}}'' is a better comparison. His explanation refers to the fact that remains of a certain [[wikipedia:Apatosaurinae|apatosaurine]] were initially named ''{{w|Brontosaurus excelsus}}'' by the paleontologist {{w|Othniel Charles Marsh|O.C. Marsh}} in 1879. This species was later determined in 1903 to be in the same {{w|genus}} as ''{{w|Apatosaurus ajax}}'', which Marsh had named two years before ''B. excelsus'': the older genus name is preferred according to convention (making the preferred binomial ''Apatosaurus excelsus''). The term ''Brontosaurus'' therefore became a scientific redundancy (a so-called junior synonym), and had this status at the time of this comic's release. Due to the correct skull for an apatosaurine not being confirmed [http://static.peerj.com/press/previews/2015/04/857_infographic_no_text.pdf until 1978], the term "brontosaurus" had in the meantime become popularly associated with an apatosaurine depicted with a speculative ''{{w|Camarasaurus}}''-like head, hence the "mistaken combination" mentioned in the comic.
 Applied to the scenario in the comic, Cueball apparently considers the relationship without any emotional foundation and only continues it out of nostalgic motives. This conclusion counteracts the initial romantic tone adopted by the turtle simile, as comparing a romance with a falsely classified fossil is one of the least charming statements imaginable.{{Citation needed}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:06, 7 November 2024
Line 36:		Line 36:
	[[Category:Romance]]		[[Category:Romance]]
	[[Category:Apatosaurus]]		[[Category:Apatosaurus]]
		+	[[Category:Dinosaurs]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:54, 18 March 2024
Line 13:		Line 13:

	The title text aims at [[Randall\|Randall's]] well-known enthusiasm for ''{{w\|Velociraptors}}''. Megan retorts by comparing any future sex between the two of them to be as likely as finding a ''Velociraptor'' in his house. This is a common trope in modern relationships where the assumption is that it is the man who wants sex, and the woman will withhold it as a form of punishment, usually in response to her emotional needs (which, stereotypically, takes the same importance to the woman as sex does for the man) being denied by the man (in this case, she initiated a romantic conversation, hoping for him to reciprocate, and yet he took the opportunity to do the opposite). The insult has a second barb: painting Cueball as being obsessed with movies involving ''Velociraptor''s. It may also hint at his having a collection of pornography, but not ''necessarily'' anything that caters to both obsessions at once.		The title text aims at [[Randall\|Randall's]] well-known enthusiasm for ''{{w\|Velociraptors}}''. Megan retorts by comparing any future sex between the two of them to be as likely as finding a ''Velociraptor'' in his house. This is a common trope in modern relationships where the assumption is that it is the man who wants sex, and the woman will withhold it as a form of punishment, usually in response to her emotional needs (which, stereotypically, takes the same importance to the woman as sex does for the man) being denied by the man (in this case, she initiated a romantic conversation, hoping for him to reciprocate, and yet he took the opportunity to do the opposite). The insult has a second barb: painting Cueball as being obsessed with movies involving ''Velociraptor''s. It may also hint at his having a collection of pornography, but not ''necessarily'' anything that caters to both obsessions at once.
−

	Randall has previously mentioned the ''Brontosaurus'' name change in [[460: Paleontology]]. The ''Apatosaurus'' also appears in [[15: Just Alerting You]] and [[650: Nowhere]].		Randall has previously mentioned the ''Brontosaurus'' name change in [[460: Paleontology]]. The ''Apatosaurus'' also appears in [[15: Just Alerting You]] and [[650: Nowhere]].

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 [[Megan]] describes her relationship to [[Cueball]] with the simile "our love is like a turtle," a comparison often made when referring to a shy and slowly developing yet steady sort of romance. However, Cueball thinks that the ''{{w|Brontosaurus}}'' is a better comparison. His explanation refers to the fact that remains of a certain [[wikipedia:Apatosaurinae|apatosaurine]] were initially named ''{{w|Brontosaurus excelsus}}'' by the paleontologist {{w|Othniel Charles Marsh|O.C. Marsh}} in 1879. This species was later determined in 1903 to be in the same {{w|genus}} as ''{{w|Apatosaurus ajax}}'', which Marsh had named two years before ''B. excelsus'': the older genus name is preferred according to convention (making the preferred binomial ''Apatosaurus excelsus''). The term ''Brontosaurus'' therefore became a scientific redundancy (a so-called junior synonym), and had this status at the time of this comic's release. Due to the correct skull for an apatosaurine not being confirmed [http://static.peerj.com/press/previews/2015/04/857_infographic_no_text.pdf until 1978], the term "brontosaurus" had in the meantime become popularly associated with an apatosaurine depicted with a speculative ''{{w|Camarasaurus}}''-like head, hence the "mistaken combination" mentioned in the comic.
-Applied to the scenario in the comic, Cueball apparently considers the relationship without any emotional foundation and only continues it out of nostalgic motives. This conclusion counteracts the initial romantic tone adopted by the turtle simile, as comparing a romance with a falsely classified fossil is one of the least charming statements imaginable. {{Citation needed}}
+Applied to the scenario in the comic, Cueball apparently considers the relationship without any emotional foundation and only continues it out of nostalgic motives. This conclusion counteracts the initial romantic tone adopted by the turtle simile, as comparing a romance with a falsely classified fossil is one of the least charming statements imaginable.{{Citation needed}}
 The title text aims at [[Randall|Randall's]] well-known enthusiasm for ''{{w|Velociraptors}}''. Megan retorts by comparing any future sex between the two of them to be as likely as finding a ''Velociraptor'' in his house. This is a common trope in modern relationships where the assumption is that it is the man who wants sex, and the woman will withhold it as a form of punishment, usually in response to her emotional needs (which, stereotypically, takes the same importance to the woman as sex does for the man) being denied by the man (in this case, she initiated a romantic conversation, hoping for him to reciprocate, and yet he took the opportunity to do the opposite). The insult has a second barb: painting Cueball as being obsessed with movies involving ''Velociraptor''s. It may also hint at his having a collection of pornography, but not ''necessarily'' anything that caters to both obsessions at once.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 Applied to the scenario in the comic, Cueball apparently considers the relationship without any emotional foundation and only continues it out of nostalgic motives. This conclusion counteracts the initial romantic tone adopted by the turtle simile, as comparing a romance with a falsely classified fossil is one of the least charming statements imaginable. {{Citation needed}}
-The title text aims at [[Randall|Randall's]] well-known enthusiasm for ''{{w|Velociraptors}}''. Megan retorts by comparing any future sex between the two of them to be as likely as finding a ''Velociraptor'' in his house. This is a common trope in modern relationships where the assumption is that it is the man who wants sex, and the woman will withhold it as a form of punishment, usually in response to her emotional needs (which, stereotypically, takes the same importance to the woman as sex does for the man) being denied by the man. The insult has a second barb: painting Cueball as being obsessed with movies involving ''Velociraptor''s.
+The title text aims at [[Randall|Randall's]] well-known enthusiasm for ''{{w|Velociraptors}}''. Megan retorts by comparing any future sex between the two of them to be as likely as finding a ''Velociraptor'' in his house. This is a common trope in modern relationships where the assumption is that it is the man who wants sex, and the woman will withhold it as a form of punishment, usually in response to her emotional needs (which, stereotypically, takes the same importance to the woman as sex does for the man) being denied by the man (in this case, she initiated a romantic conversation, hoping for him to reciprocate, and yet he took the opportunity to do the opposite). The insult has a second barb: painting Cueball as being obsessed with movies involving ''Velociraptor''s.
 Randall has previously mentioned the ''Brontosaurus'' name change in [[460: Paleontology]]. The ''Apatosaurus'' also appears in [[15: Just Alerting You]] and [[650: Nowhere]].