In Greek mythology, Heracles (Hercules) killed the Nemean lion and used its skin as a cloak. I don’t know whether or not that “lion” was a lion; it had claws sharp enough to cut armor and an impenetrable skin. And it was big. That Heracles guy must have been pretty strong. Certainly, that’s the enduring impression we have of him because of the story about the Nemean lion. Of course, we know the story was just a story, but think of how long that story has endured and how it has influenced drama, poetry, literature, and film—and through them, us.
If a reporter labels some critter a “lion,” it becomes a lion.
An online story published by France24 * has this title: “Researchers find ancient giant ‘lion’ in Kenya.” Now, I’ll give the reporter(s) credit for the use of quotation marks around lion. But think. In your extraordinarily busy day of tasks, concerns, and clicks by the hundreds, are you going to read much more than that title? I don’t think so. The ancient Miocene creature Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, belonged to the subfamily of carnivorous animals called Hyainailourinae. The critter in question was big, about as big as a Volkswagen Beetle, about 3,000 lbs.
But it was not a lion in the same way that lions are lions. Lions belong to the subfamily Pantherinae (-inae is the suffix for subfamilies; -idea, for families). ** And, apparently, not even the Nemean lion was a “lion” as we know them.
Back to what I was saying. In today’s busy world, the first read becomes the only read. We’re a bit too occupied to do further research on details. Besides, how many people are interested in vertebrate paleontology beyond an occasional visit to a museum to show children the bones of T-Rex or the giant sloth? Certainly, not many are going to read a scientific journal article that argues the species designation on the basis of some teeth. So, Simbakubwa kutokaafrika becomes a ‘lion’ forever in the minds of the cursory reader.
And that’s where the power of the reporter(s) occurs. In just a word of reporting on anything—medicine, technology, discovery, politics, society, or entertainment—reporters can lionize anything or anyone. And they can destroy or build a reputation in a word. Who reads beyond the headline nowadays? Who delves into details? And who questions relentlessly?
How many times have you accepted a headline as a complete story? Think. Not every lion reported to be a Nemean lion is a Nemean lion.
*No idea. Some kind of a news service, I assume. I was too lazy to look it up, just too many clicks, I figured. Anyway, it’s there, online, at https://www.france24.com/en/20190418-researchers-discover-ancient-giant-lion-kenya-0 for you to read. Accessed on April 18, 2019.
The original from which the reporter(s) inferred “lion” was an article published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology:
Borths, Matthew R. and Nancy J. Stevens. Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, gen. etg sp. nov. (Hyainailourinae, Hyaenodonta, ‘Creodonta,’ Mmamalia), a gigantic carnivore from the earliest Miocene of Kenya. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Published online April 17, 2019 at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2019.1570222 Accessed April 18, 2019. The original article has a good diagram of the carnassial families to which Simbakubwa kutokaafrika belongs and a timeline of their relationships.
**Lion: Animal with a spine (Chordata); mammal, carnivore, Order Feliformia, Family Felidae, Subfamily Pantherinae, Genus, Panthera, Species, leo. Simbakubwa kutokaafrika belonged to Family Hyainailoluridae, not Felidae.
If a reporter labels some critter a “lion,” it becomes a lion.
An online story published by France24 * has this title: “Researchers find ancient giant ‘lion’ in Kenya.” Now, I’ll give the reporter(s) credit for the use of quotation marks around lion. But think. In your extraordinarily busy day of tasks, concerns, and clicks by the hundreds, are you going to read much more than that title? I don’t think so. The ancient Miocene creature Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, belonged to the subfamily of carnivorous animals called Hyainailourinae. The critter in question was big, about as big as a Volkswagen Beetle, about 3,000 lbs.
But it was not a lion in the same way that lions are lions. Lions belong to the subfamily Pantherinae (-inae is the suffix for subfamilies; -idea, for families). ** And, apparently, not even the Nemean lion was a “lion” as we know them.
Back to what I was saying. In today’s busy world, the first read becomes the only read. We’re a bit too occupied to do further research on details. Besides, how many people are interested in vertebrate paleontology beyond an occasional visit to a museum to show children the bones of T-Rex or the giant sloth? Certainly, not many are going to read a scientific journal article that argues the species designation on the basis of some teeth. So, Simbakubwa kutokaafrika becomes a ‘lion’ forever in the minds of the cursory reader.
And that’s where the power of the reporter(s) occurs. In just a word of reporting on anything—medicine, technology, discovery, politics, society, or entertainment—reporters can lionize anything or anyone. And they can destroy or build a reputation in a word. Who reads beyond the headline nowadays? Who delves into details? And who questions relentlessly?
How many times have you accepted a headline as a complete story? Think. Not every lion reported to be a Nemean lion is a Nemean lion.
*No idea. Some kind of a news service, I assume. I was too lazy to look it up, just too many clicks, I figured. Anyway, it’s there, online, at https://www.france24.com/en/20190418-researchers-discover-ancient-giant-lion-kenya-0 for you to read. Accessed on April 18, 2019.
The original from which the reporter(s) inferred “lion” was an article published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology:
Borths, Matthew R. and Nancy J. Stevens. Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, gen. etg sp. nov. (Hyainailourinae, Hyaenodonta, ‘Creodonta,’ Mmamalia), a gigantic carnivore from the earliest Miocene of Kenya. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Published online April 17, 2019 at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2019.1570222 Accessed April 18, 2019. The original article has a good diagram of the carnassial families to which Simbakubwa kutokaafrika belongs and a timeline of their relationships.
**Lion: Animal with a spine (Chordata); mammal, carnivore, Order Feliformia, Family Felidae, Subfamily Pantherinae, Genus, Panthera, Species, leo. Simbakubwa kutokaafrika belonged to Family Hyainailoluridae, not Felidae.
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