A Tet Zoo Christmas

Here's the Tet Zoo Christmas card. As always, it's strikingly Christmassy in theme and content (for 2007 go here and for 2006 go here). What does it all mean? Why, you're a Tet Zoo reader: you don't need to ask that! After all, you already realise the significance of qilins, cadborosaurs and Tecolutla monsters. Tizhureks and cetodipterans have yet to appear here I'm afraid, but they'll definitely be making an appearance next year. And David Marjanovic has already noted that Atlantisia is preoccupied by the generic name of the Inaccessible Island rail Atlantisia rogersi, but that's a sophisticated in-joke, of course.

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And here are some other offerings from friends and colleagues, some of whom you'll notice as Tet Zoo regulars.... some of whom you won't. The adjacent pic is from Tet Zoo stalwart and ace birder Jerzy.

The other day I mentioned Phil Mannion's new Wessex Formation rebbachisaurid paper. Simon Clabby - of DinoWight - was so excited by this he chose to express it in Christmas card form; nice one Simon :)

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Then there's Mo's thoughts (that's Mo of The Disillusioned Taxonomist)...

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And Luis Rey was so taken with the wonder that is Epidexipteryx that, here it is with appropriate festive decking...

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Cameron - of Lord Geekington - produced this marvel...

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Finally, yesterday - yes, I kid you not, on December the fucking 22nd - I received a lovely Christmas message from the Inland Revenue: pay us a few thousand quid by the end of January, or else! Yay - thanks you lovely people. We are doomed.

Have a good Christmas and New Year. While I was in Morocco Tet Zoo ver 2 had its two-millionth visitor. Thanks to you all for visiting, here's to a good 2009.

More like this

Christmas card... I should probably start working on that. I love the name "cetodipteran" by the way, I can't wait until your post.

Sorry to hear about your financial situation, I'll see what I can russell up.

I can't understand why Luis cropped out the skateboard.

By Nathan Myers (not verified) on 23 Dec 2008 #permalink

Are cetodipterans hypothetical? The only Google result is this post, and the name seems to mean 'whale flies'.

By William Miller (not verified) on 23 Dec 2008 #permalink

Oughtn't there be ropens somewhere in that family three?

(Also, "Terratobloggia" appears to be dodgy Latin for "landed blogs"; is "Teratobloggia", for "monstrous blogs", meant?)

By Andreas Johansson (not verified) on 24 Dec 2008 #permalink

Luis' Epidexipteryx frightens me. It looks like a gremlin, waiting to lunge during the night at some unwary passerby.

Merry Christmas, Darren. Thanks for the card--it's by far the most awesome one I've recieved this year.

Cetodiptera, I love it. I'm visualizing flying whales. Or crane flies with fins.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Yep, Epi' looks like a gremlin. Waiting to eat Christmas gifts, scratch cds and pee on the tree!

Merry Christmas!

hm, no scansorial plesiosaurids, and no giant boneless aquatic pterosaurs? Well, there's always next year.

By Nathan Myers (not verified) on 26 Dec 2008 #permalink

Like it, Darren!

Tizhureks... is that, like, "tissue wrecks"... thongs so rotted they are unrecognisable as what they were and look monstrously different?

(er, i meant 'things'... of course.

typing in haste.

that's all.

the 'thong' was not a Freudian slip.

(the Freudian Slip is a different garment entirely, and unmistakably distinct. they are as different as... as... oh, as a plesiosaur is different from a basking shark, say))

;-)

By Graham King (not verified) on 31 Dec 2008 #permalink

Damn!

I thought everyone had forgotten all about that bloody wolverine comment of mine...

By Dr Dan H. (not verified) on 05 Jan 2009 #permalink