Dinosaur Collective Nouns - What terms should we use?

[Everything_Dinosaur]

From time to time we get asked to write various pieces on the Dinosauria and prehistoric animals in general.  One of the problems that we come across is to how best to describe a group of a certain species - the collective noun.  We have schools of fish, pods of whales, troops of monkeys, but none of us ever recall coming across any defined terms when it comes to extinct animals.  Most researchers now agree that many dinosaurs lived in herds, even Theropods may have hunted in packs, should we have specific collective terms for various groups of dinosaurs?

How about a "menace of Allosaurs", or a "rush of Hypsilophodonts", or even a "parade of Parasaurolophus"

Suggestions most welcome, we can then build up a definitive list for future reference.

[sauroid]

"flock" seems to be an appropriate term to use on small communal species, whether ornithischians or saurischians

[tyrantqueen]

Theropods hunting together- a pack
Large herbivores that group together such as Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, and Parasaurolophus- a herd

Those are the words I use, they work well enough for me.

[DinoToyForum]

Great idea for a topic! One can find plenty of real life examples for inspiration here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animal_names

Pod of plesiosaurs makes sense

How about a wobble of sauropods.
Crush of ankylosaurs.
Slobber of tyrannosaurs
Hulk of abelisaurs
Swathe of raptors
Navy of ichthyosaurus
Mosh of mosasaurs

[Everything_Dinosaur]

A pod of Plesiosaurs, we should have thought of that, it makes sense.  We thought about something to do with tanks or the military for Ankylosaurs something like a brigade of Ankylosaurs.

[DinoToyForum]

A pod of Plesiosaurs, we should have thought of that, it makes sense.  We thought about something to do with tanks or the military for Ankylosaurs something like a brigade of Ankylosaurs.

Yes! A battalion of Ankylosaurs!
A convoy of Ceratopsians

[Roselaar]

'A Pod of Plesiosaurs', 'A Convoy of Ceratopsians'... sounds like new novels from A Song of Ice and Fire.

I would just compare extinct species to contemporary animals and apply the terms used for those. E.g., a pack of Allosaurs, a herd of Sauropods, a flock of Eudimorphodons, etc. But I understand th fun involved in going alliterative with terminology.

[DinoToyForum]

'A Pod of Plesiosaurs', 'A Convoy of Ceratopsians'... sounds like new novels from A Song of Ice and Fire.

I would just compare extinct species to contemporary animals and apply the terms used for those. E.g., a pack of Allosaurs, a herd of Sauropods, a flock of Eudimorphodons, etc. But I understand th fun involved in going alliterative with terminology.

But 'flock', 'pack', 'herd', are general terms. Specific animals often have specific collective nouns. Such as 'pride of lions', 'gaggle of geese', 'troop of ostriches'. That's where the fun begins

[Roselaar]

'A Pod of Plesiosaurs', 'A Convoy of Ceratopsians'... sounds like new novels from A Song of Ice and Fire.

I would just compare extinct species to contemporary animals and apply the terms used for those. E.g., a pack of Allosaurs, a herd of Sauropods, a flock of Eudimorphodons, etc. But I understand th fun involved in going alliterative with terminology.

But 'flock', 'pack', 'herd', are general terms. Specific animals often have specific collective nouns. Such as 'pride of lions', 'gaggle of geese', 'troop of ostriches'. That's where the fun begins

So you're saying, since these animals are extinct, you can make up whatever terms you like and hope it catches on then? Okay then, here's a few more:

'A Conglomerate of Concavenators'
'A Succession of Sinornithosaurs'
'A Treasure Trove of Troodons'
'An Invasion of Incisivosaurs'
'A Mountain of Montanoceratopses'
'A Force of Fabrosaurs'

You're right, this is fun!

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

A fun topic ! Though I think this would go in the Dinosaurs section since it doesn't relate to toys specifically .

[Takama]

I read that a group of baby sauropods are a pod

[tyrantqueen]

I read that a group of baby sauropods are a pod

WWD called them a "crèche"

How about a dictatorship of tyrannosaurus rex?

[Patrx]

I kind of like "a murder of troodonts".

[Everything_Dinosaur]

As far as we know there are no definitions regarding collective nouns for the Dinosauria or indeed any extinct animals that we can think of.  If the Thagomiser can become a valid scientific term (tail spikes on a Stegosaur) then as far as we are concerned it is open season on collective nouns.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Perhaps a snicker of Psittacosaurus.......or a swoop of pterodactyls!!

[brandem]

a 'court' of tyrannosaurus rexes,

[Libraraptor]

There are two great books by Steve Palin on exactly this topic with recent animals! Check them out for inspiration!

http://www.amazon.com/Menagerie-Animals-Illustrated-Collective-Nouns/dp/1871482194/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378569581&sr=8-1&keywords=steve+palin+a+menagerie+of+animals

http://www.amazon.com/A-Dissimulation-Birds-Steve-Palin/dp/0754102904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378569617&sr=8-1&keywords=a+dissimulation+of+birds+steve+palin

[Everything_Dinosaur]

A "court of Tyrannosaurs" nice one!  We had a similar suggestion a few months ago sent into us a "retinue of rexes".  A clever geologist colleague explained at the time that a retinue was the name given to a group of attendants that travelled with an important person such as King.

[tyrantqueen]

How about a thunderclap of Apatosaurus? It makes reference to the old name, Brontosaurus

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I think going with the flow here you could have a peck of Oviraptors, a trample of Brachiosaurus, and a crest of Lambeosaurs