Correspondence

One submission Nature 543, 309–311; 2017). account the prevalence of traits one of the two basic divisions to all journals Yet several species are already on in the German population. of dinosaurs, the other being the Red List of the International Prediction probabilities for rare the Ornithischia (H. G. Seeley The process of submitting a Union for Conservation of characteristics can drop to less Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 43, 165–171; manuscript has yet to catch up Nature. In our view, the best than 50% when adjusted for 1887). Saurischia comprises the with the publishing revolution way to save our diminishing prevalence. Yet in practice, mostly carnivorous Theropoda, that is being spurred by open- earthworm workforce is to use FDP-guided investigations will which includes Tyrannosaurus access journals, data repositories, routine vermicomposting of focus on rare characteristics: rex (and birds as a subgroup), ORCID, Publons, PubPeer, organic wastes and to manage a positive test for dark skin, a and the primarily herbivorous arXiv and bioRxiv. A centralized, soils in ways that respect rare trait in Germany, could Sauropodomorpha, such as streamlined online-submission permaculture principles and much more efficiently (even Diplodocus longus. The point process that serves all journals is practices. if wrongly) narrow down an of potential confusion in Baron sorely needed to circumvent this Earthworms are ecologically investigation than could a and colleagues’ proposal is that inefficient procedure. crucial in the creation of healthy positive result for the much the authors retain the name The service offered by soils. They mineralize nutrients, more common trait of light skin. Saurischia while removing the Peerage of Science is a step in the either directly or by stimulating Minority groups could therefore Theropoda. right direction (see go.nature. microbial activity in synchrony become over-represented in A different scheme might be com/2pbsby2) but it is limited by with plant needs, thereby police investigations. less confusing. For instance, its main function as a preprint- increasing crop yields by 25% Biogeographical testing is Sauropodomorpha could reviewing facility. And although (see J. W. van Groenigen et al. less reliable for individuals with be retained as the clade that proposals to submit manuscripts Sci. Rep. 4, 6365; 2014). And rain mixed ancestry or for those from comprises all species closer to in a common format are timely filtered through worm burrows regions that are undersampled Diplodocus than to theropod (see Q. Guo Nature 540, 525; gives rise to worm-worked humus in the reference databases. dinosaurs. In Baron and 2016 and J. P. Moore Nature 542, that stores 40% more moisture to The use of test results may be colleagues’ analysis, this would 31; 2017), different submission sustain crops through drought premised on assumed visible differ only slightly from its use systems remain a bottleneck. (see go.nature.com/2oofvfq). features (C. Phillips Forensic over the past several decades Authors need to re-enter details Earthworms also help to Sci. Int. Genet. 18, 49–65; 2015). by including the limited group such as contact information and remedy other global problems, Biogeographical ancestry, of late Triassic carnivorous keywords every time they submit such as biodiversity decline and ethnicity and appearance are Herrerasauridae. to a different journal. Other, climate change. They reduce therefore at risk of becoming Alternatively, the term spurious data may be requested the need for large quantities conflated in policing practice. Pachypodosauria, devised by that have no bearing on the of agrochemicals and boost Germany’s police, prosecutors Friedrich von Huene in 1914, review process or publication carbon storage in soil through and forensic analysts need could be revived. Initially used decision, perhaps because the ingestion of plant residues more statistical training to to unite larger theropods with information is useful to the (see http://4p1000.org). assess test results properly. The the sauropodomorphs, the journal (submission to journals The earthworm warrants use of these technologies also term could now be applied to such as PeerJ is notably less time- more scientific attention and requires a balanced framework a clade of dinosaurs that have consuming). investment. of governance, including judicial, four or more weight-bearing In the past 20 years, the United Robert Blakemore VermEcology, ethical and regulatory oversight toes, as distinct from their Kingdom and the United States Yokohama, Japan. by independent governmental lighter-footed ornithoscelidan have each developed systems that Axel Hochkirch Trier University, bodies (see go.nature. sister taxon with three allow prospective students to Germany. com/2oq090e). weight-bearing toes. Such a apply to several universities using [email protected] Fabian Staubach Institute for scheme would accommodate the same form. If universities can Biology I, University of Freiburg, the two competing create and collaborate on such a Germany. hypotheses: a conventional system, surely academic journals Note limitations of [email protected] Saurischia–Ornithischia split can do so too. DNA legislation On behalf of 9 correspondents (see versus the new Pachypodosauria– Tim Birkhead University of go.nature.com/2odjphz for full list). Ornithoscelida division. Sheffield, UK. The draft bill on forensic DNA Thomas R. Holtz University of Robert Montgomerie Queen’s phenotyping (FDP) in Germany Maryland, College Park, USA. University, Kingston, Canada. should take into account the Share names for [email protected] [email protected] technology’s scientific and dinosaur divisions operational limitations, as well as the social contingencies Matthew Baron and colleagues CONTRIBUTIONS Restore earthworms regarding its use (see Nature 543, propose a radical revision of Correspondence may be to rebuild topsoil 589–590; 2017). dinosaur relationships (Nature sent to correspondence@ The high probabilities for 543, 501–506; 2017). I suggest nature.com after consulting Charles Darwin was right to predicting visible traits and that borrowing from the field’s the author guidelines at laud the earthworm. It is a biogeographical ancestry, as rich history could help to prevent http://go.nature.com/ natural instrument for restoring emphasized in the bill and in unnecessary confusion. cmchno. degraded soils (see J. Davies public debate, do not take into Historically, Saurischia is