The Journal of Zoology special issue on paleobehavior is free for the next 30 days
June 23, 2014
Got this in my inbox this morning. I presume this means that the 30 days start now. But if you’re interested in this stuff, don’t tarry.
And you should be interested in this stuff. This volume brings together some very active and knowledgeable researchers–including our fellow SV-POW!sketeer, Darren Naish, and sometime coauthor Dave Hone–writing on a broad range of interesting topics under the umbrella of behavior.
Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week 
June 23, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Oh, it’s the one with a trilobite illustration by little old me. I didn’t realise at the time that it was going to be on the cover, too. Eek.
June 23, 2014 at 8:50 pm
Well, this is a great moment to download the entire issue.
But how very sad to say “In 30 days, we’re going to hide this from the world.”
Glass half empty? Glass half full? Hey! I ordered a cheeseburger!
June 24, 2014 at 3:53 pm
But how very sad to say “In 30 days, we’re going to hide this from the world.”
Sad, and backwards on several axes. Fundamentally, they seem to be living in some pre-digital age when you could physically take the copies off the shelf and thereby deny them to consumers. But with digital files, once it’s out, it’s out. So either (1) they actually do understand that, but they’d prefer that most people get the papers from them instead of from file-sharing, so they post this artificial time limit to drive traffic to their site, or (2) the executives who signed off on this plan understand the internet less well than my 9-year-old. I’d like to think that it’s the first option. But even that is pretty Pyrrhic–“to increase traffic for the next 30 days, we’re basically going to close down traffic forever after the month is up”.
If all it takes to get a job at a legacy publisher is the ability to make decisions that bad…well, no, I still wouldn’t want such a depressing job. I’m starting to wonder who would.
June 27, 2014 at 8:28 pm
The sort of person who would do that job… not sure, but, well, Gogol would have labeled them as “those inky-fingered government clerks”…
July 3, 2014 at 9:56 am
Hey! Snively et al. wrote a paper about saurischian necks and didn’t cite us! No fair! :-)
July 3, 2014 at 9:58 am
Also, stupidly and more importantly, Dave Hone’s introductory editorial is not available.
July 3, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Hey! Snively et al. wrote a paper about saurischian necks and didn’t cite us! No fair! :-)
I hate to break it to you, but Snively’s body of work on theropod necks over the past few years pretty much smokes ours on sauropods. I got to review one of those papers a few years ago and it was seriously impressive work.
Also, stupidly and more importantly, Dave Hone’s introductory editorial is not available.
Whatchoo talkin ’bout, Willis? When I go to the site, it’s right there with a little unlock icon next to it, available in HTML or PDF. Let me know if you need a copy and I’ll bung one your way.
July 4, 2014 at 8:17 am
I’m talking about “Introduction: current research and future trends in the study of palaeoethology”. Alone of all the articles, that one does not have a “unlocked” icon next to it; and sure enough, when I click on its “Full Article (HTML)” link, I get a paywall page.
It’s not a big deal, as it’s only a one-page introduction; it just seems a bit mean and arbitrary.
July 6, 2014 at 8:10 pm
Mike, I promise a paper with exclusively y’all cited, all the time! (Or in which your Giraffatitan/Brachiosaurus paper is the ONLY important reference; seriously, coming up). Matt, thanks for the kind words, but when I’m impressed with theropod necks I see this: https://svpow.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/amnh-tyrannosaurus-is-pathetic1.jpeg and think “ …Meh, why bother.”
July 7, 2014 at 10:38 am
That’s very tantalising, Eric! I will hold my breath till it comes out :-)