h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just a quick note - thankyou to everyone who has passed comment - *Mary Anning and the fossils of Lyme Regis* Version 1.0.2 will appear in the next 6 hours, along with an explanation of why some advice has been taken and why some has not.
Again, thanks for reading so thoroughly.
Frogbit.

OK, some revisions have been made, and her biog extended to include more of her life.

WOODPIGEON - Thanks for your careful comments.

mya - stays as it is, I think. I like this as a footnote, because people who are unfamiliar with it will look it up at the begining, then keep it in their heads - a new term learned.

Jurassic is now Jurassic period, and is Triassic.

Though about this, but decided the sentence was not in need of another comma.

You might want to re-phrase... I did. Thanks.

I *like* Jurassic seas.

"Oceans" .. "must have been a busy place" - Changed to something else.

"Explain "pyratised" in the main text. Footnotes should only be used to provide more information to the curious, not to explain a word that is not commonly understood" - Almost went with you on this one - still may...

"along almost any of the Dorset coast", - Cheers.

"I think the local lord in question is Gideon Mantell" - it was Henry Hoste Henley (catchy, don't you think?) who bought the ichthyosaur. Mantell was still bogged down in Lewes.

"she encountered ".. "the fledgling science of paleontology". I would have said she was an integral part of the foundation of paleontology." - True, but the ichthyosaur was her introduction - Cuvier had been digging up dinosaurs for years.

"I am not sure she lived in abject poverty - people did purchase her fossils for good money, but she was not wealthy. "Abject" might be too strong a word here." - changed to 'comparative'

OK, some revisions have been made, and her biog extended to include more of her life.

WOODPIGEON - Thanks for your careful comments.

mya - stays as it is, I think. I like this as a footnote, because people who are unfamiliar with it will look it up at the begining, then keep it in their heads - a new term learned.

Jurassic is now Jurassic period, and is Triassic.

Though about this, but decided the sentence was not in need of another comma.

You might want to re-phrase... I did. Thanks.

I *like* Jurassic seas.

"Oceans" .. "must have been a busy place" - Changed to something else.

"Explain "pyratised" in the main text. Footnotes should only be used to provide more information to the curious, not to explain a word that is not commonly understood" - Almost went with you on this one - still may...

"along almost any of the Dorset coast", - Cheers.

"I think the local lord in question is Gideon Mantell" - it was Henry Hoste Henley (catchy, don't you think?) who bought the ichthyosaur. Mantell was still bogged down in Lewes.

"she encountered ".. "the fledgling science of paleontology". I would have said she was an integral part of the foundation of paleontology." - True, but the ichthyosaur was her introduction - Cuvier had been digging up dinosaurs for years.

"I am not sure she lived in abject poverty - people did purchase her fossils for good money, but she was not wealthy. "Abject" might be too strong a word here." - changed to 'comparative'

"It was a given fact", insert "at that time", that the earth was 6,000 years old." I think it *was* is OK.

And no, I don't think you're being pedantic. I'm grateful for what amounts to free editing. Don't take it personally that I didn't take all of your advice - as you pointed out, much of it was stylistic critisism rather than factual correction.
ps - The Dinosaur Hunters is an excellent read. And Mantell *does* deserve an entry.

Damn.

Hi Frogbit, that was a concise comment .

I didn't see the original version but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. I now have something else other than Jane Austin to associate with Lyme Regis.

For what its worth I thought the whole piece fit together fine in this version.

The last paragraph is strongly worded and not altogether neutral. It doesn't bother me but I can see it might generate some debate. I wouldn't suggest changing it though - its in context with the rest of the entry - the Church having already had to adjust its 6,000 year old earth belief. I like it as it is, (but then I have little patience with clergy spending time delving into this sort of thing instead of concentrating on what is happening today, so I might be biased).

Another fascinating and excellent guide entry .

Cheers. I'm off for a Jurassic (period) nautilus hunt in Gloucestershire for a couple of days - I'll be interested to see what I find when I return.
Frogbit.

Hi Frogbit,

Thanks for your response! Two more things I have found..

"They were initially thoughT to be the remains of an unknown crocodilian"

"The thanks to the efforts of Henry VIII" - Use "However, thanks" instead of The thanks..

Other than that - a well deserving entry, and something that gets my !

I hope the weather keeps up this weekend for your fossil hunt! If you hit upon a TRex let us know!



Woodpigeon

Thanks for your further corrections Abstracted, I'll get them in right away. Unfortunately the nautilus hunt maybe off - one of the party has a small child with a cough that won't go away - he may have to stay back and look after him as the nursery won't (fair enough). As an alternative, we may go to Lyme or Charmouth and get some of those ammonites.
ps If I find a T-rex, I'll let *everyone* know.
Frogbit.

Corrections corrected. Cheers, Abstracted.

Hi Frogbit,

The entry is looking even better.

On the subject of the final paragraph. Perhaps if you amended it to 'irksome to some of the clergy' or 'irksome to the Victorian clergy'. I don't believe it is to most contemporary clergy.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review' to 'Mary Anning and the Fossils of Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK.'.

This thread has been moved out of the Peer Review Forum because your entry has now been recommended for the Edited Guide.

You can find out what will happen to your entry here: http://www.h2g2.com/SubEditors-Process

Congratulations!

Frogbit

Are you out hunting Tyrannosaurs? If so, you may never make it back to find out that you have something to celebrate! (I've seen that film by that bloke, you know, the one with the old guy with the beard. Those T-Rexes are dangerous old beasts!)

Well, if you do make it back undevoured,

Azara

Well deserved!

good luck huniting nautilus

Thanks guys. No T-rex I'm afraid. We turned up a couple of nautili and some ammonites witha combined weight of 150/200 pounds. We also found some soft body preservation - a group of bivalves which had their muscle structure intact. The most interesting find (to me) was a plum sized piece of smooth, dark, shiny stone. An environmental geologist identified it as a gastrolith - a stone to help digestion. Modern birds frequently swallow gravel to help them break down their food. He reckoned that given the environment of the layer we were searching it most likely came from the belly of a crocodile or crocodilian creature.
So sitting here next to my mouse is a lozenge of stone that has had the gastric juices of a Jurassic (lower middle approx. 160 million years ago) crodile sluicing over it, while it helped digest fish and bits of dinosaur.
I realise it is quite possibly only me that finds that exciting.
Frogbit.

That's really cool - you've got a stone that's older than Mick Jagger!

Congrats on making it into the Edited Guide!

Definately.
BTW - are you busy at the moment sub-editing, Frogbit, as I hope to borrow you for my project as I feel you'd be the best at sub-editing it.

<BB<

I've just been sent some entries to sub, so I'll talk to the editors - but I'm definately interested in your project. It may take a little while though...come over http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U175610 and let's talk.
Frogbit.