Lecture 7: Dinosaurs In History

Question 1

Describe the 1600’s

Answer 1

Scientific revolution in Europe. Reconsideration of fossils.
In 1667-Nicolas Steno recognizes “glossopetra” are fossilized shark teeth
In 1677- Robert plot publishes earliest illustration of a dinosaur bone, but not recognized as such at the time

Question 2

Describe the 1700’s

Answer 2

1758- Linnaeus formalizes zoological classification with his systema Naturae.
Fossils of mosasaurus (netherlands) and Pterodactylus (Germany) were first studied in late 1700’s (not name until early 1800’s)
Little consensus on how to interpret and classify these animals.

Question 3

Describe the history of paleontology

Answer 3

Baron Georges Cuvier (1769-1832). Natural museum of history. Father of modern paleontology. Concept of extinction.

Question 4

Early 1800’s

Answer 4

The science of palaeontology was named. Stratigraphy (sequence of rock formations mapped, periods of geological time defined) More strange fossil reptiles are discovered in England- Icthyosaurus, pleisosaurus- as well as the first named dinosaurs. First concept of an “age of reptiles” preceding of the dominance of mammals.

Question 5

Describe the history of the Megalosaurus

Answer 5

1810’s- Jaw and teeth discovered in England.
1824- William Buckland publishes the first scientific paper naming a dinosaur.
Still a valid genus based on this material.

Question 6

Describe the history of the Iguanodon

Answer 6

1825- Name published by Gideon Mantell, based on a few teeth and bones from England. Later scientists redefined the name to be based on complete skeletons found in Belgium in 1878.

Question 7

Who is Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892)

Answer 7

Knighted by Queen Victoria. An arch rival of Charles Darwin. In 1841 the term Dinosauria was proposed it is Greek, and means fearfully great lizard. First dinosaur park established in 1854 at crystal palace outside london

Question 8

Describe the History of the 1800’s

Answer 8

1842: Richard owen invents the word “dinosaur” to include Megalosaurus, iguanodon, and Hylarosaurus.In 1854 Dinosaur sculptures go on exhibit in Crystal palace park, london

Question 9

What did Darwin publish in 1859?

Answer 9

The “ on the origin of the species” outlining the theory of evolution by natural selection

Question 10

What was discovered in 1861?

Answer 10

Archaeopteryx (Germany). Huxley proposes that dinosaurs and birds are closely related

Question 11

What Dinosaur became the first mounted for display in 1868?

Answer 11

Hadrosaurus from new Jersey

Question 12

what happened in 1870’s-1890’s

Answer 12

Intense collecting in western US fuelled by “bone wars”

Question 13

Who is Edward Drinker Cope? (1840-1897)

Answer 13

Academy of natural sciences in Philadelphia. Named over 1200 species of vertebraes. Published over 1400 scientific papers

Question 14

Who is othniel Charles Marsh?

Answer 14

He was a student at Yale University. Became the director of the peabody museum at Yale, supported by his uncle george peabody. Discovered Brontosaurus, stegosaurus and triceratops.

Question 15

What were the bone wars?

Answer 15

It was cope vs. Marsh, 20 years of great productivity of 287 species of dinosaurs, 130 of which were described by these men

Question 16

Describe the Late 1800’s

Answer 16

1887- Seeley divides dinosauria into saurischia and Ornithischia. Marsh names the groups Theropoda, Sauropoda, ornithopoda, stegasauria, ceratopsia.

Question 17

Describe the Paleoart that begain in 1897

Answer 17

Charles Knight begins painting dinosaurs, he remains active until 1940’s

Question 18

Canadian Dinosaur Discoveries

Answer 18

A few finds were reported in the 1870’s-1880’s. Lawrence Lambe (Ottawa) is first to name new Dinosaurs in Canada.

Question 19

Describe the Early 1900’s

Answer 19

Dominated by museum efforts to build the most impressive exhibits. Tyrannosaurus Rex discovered in Montana in 1902, named in 1905. Major expeditions by western palaeontologists to Asia and Africa.

Question 20

The Great Canadian Dinosaur Rush

Answer 20

1910s-1930s- Extensive collecting in Alberta by museums in New york, Ottawa and Toronto.

Question 21

Who was Roy Chapman Andrews (1884-1960)

Answer 21

He was a zoologist at the museum of natural history, New york. Took an expedition to central Mongolia. Famous finds of dinosaur nests and eggs. Museum of Ulan Bator, capital of mongolia

Question 22

What was the first feature film about dinosaurs?

Answer 22

The lost world in 1925, it was influenced by Knights art

Question 23

Mid 1900s

Answer 23

Refinement of radiometric dating assigns absolute dates to the age of Dinosaurs. plate tectonics explains the movement of the continents. Modern synthesis ties together paleontological and biological understanding of evolution.

Question 24

The “Dinosaur Renaissance”

Answer 24

1969- John ostrom publishes Deinonychus, challenges conventional view of dinosaurs as sluggish, dimwitted reptiles. 1970-80s new research into dinosaur physiology (were they warm blooded?) Social behavior (cooperative hunting, herd living, parental care, infraspecific communication and competition etc)

Question 25

What happens at the end of the Dinosaur Renaissance? (1970-80’s)

Answer 25

Evolution: ornithischians and saurischians form a natural group, and birds are descended from saurischians. Extinction, gradual or catastrophic?

Question 26

1990’s to present

Answer 26

New uses for computers: morphometric Analysis, Phylogenetic analysis and computed tomography scanning. Increase rate of species being discovered. More international collaboration and discoveries around the world.

Question 27

What was discovered in China in the 1990’s

Answer 27

feathered Dinosaurs

Question 28

What other recent developments were there? (90s to present)

Answer 28

Proteins sequenced from bones. Melanosomes are responsible for colour and photoprotection in animal cells and tissues. In fossil feathers used to determine the colour of dinosaurs. Experiments on bird embryos to express ancestral conditions: eventually a chickenosaurus