Dinosaur Discovery and the Bone Wars

Study Notes

After the California Gold Rush of 1848, white settlers moved west and discovered dinosaur bones, including iconic creatures like Brontosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus.

Two wealthy scientists, Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, competed to uncover dinosaur bones and fossils, leading to the infamous "Bone Wars."
Marsh was known for debunking falsehoods and had a temper, while Cope was charismatic but sarcastic and temperamental.
In 1864, Marsh and Cope initially met and were friendly, but their relationship soon soured due to Marsh's bribery and Cope's mistake in reconstructing Elasmosaurus.

With the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, Marsh and Cope began searching for fossils in the American West, relying on Native American guides.
Marsh discovered ancient birds with teeth, a missing link between dinosaurs and modern birds, and named many new species.
Cope made important discoveries, but Marsh invalidated many of them, showing them to be redundant with other known species.
Cope tried to secure priority for new findings by announcing them via telegram and purchasing a respected journal to rush publications into print.

Marsh used his personal fortune to hire a small army of fossil hunters, out-competing Cope and gaining the upper hand.
In 1878, Marsh bought a promising quarry in Como Bluff, Wyoming, which yielded tons of fossils, including the near-complete skeleton of a gigantic dinosaur named Brontosaurus.
Over the next 10 years, Marsh's men shipped over 480 boxes of dinosaur bones from Como, and Marsh named dozens of new species.
Cope's fortunes dwindled, and he invested in silver mining, which failed, leaving him nearly destitute.

The Bone Wars spilled into public view when Cope accused Marsh of plagiarism, fraud, and corruption in a tabloid newspaper, and Marsh fired back, further tarnishing each other's reputations.
Neither Marsh nor Cope ever relented in their rivalry.
Both men greatly expanded our understanding of evolution, but their egotistical one-upmanship highlights the personal nature of scientific enterprise.

The California Gold Rush of 1848 led to the discovery of dinosaur bones, including Brontosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus, by white settlers moving west.

Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, two wealthy scientists, competed to uncover dinosaur bones and fossils, sparking the "Bone Wars."
Marsh was known for debunking falsehoods and had a temper, while Cope was charismatic but sarcastic and temperamental.
Marsh and Cope initially met in 1864 and were friendly, but their relationship soon soured due to Marsh's bribery and Cope's mistake in reconstructing Elasmosaurus.

With the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, Marsh and Cope began searching for fossils in the American West, relying on Native American guides.
Marsh discovered ancient birds with teeth, a missing link between dinosaurs and modern birds, and named many new species.
Cope made important discoveries, but Marsh invalidated many of them, showing them to be redundant with other known species.
Cope tried to secure priority for new findings by announcing them via telegram and purchasing a respected journal to rush publications into print.

Marsh used his personal fortune to hire a small army of fossil hunters, out-competing Cope and gaining the upper hand.
In 1878, Marsh bought a promising quarry in Como Bluff, Wyoming, which yielded tons of fossils, including the near-complete skeleton of a gigantic dinosaur named Brontosaurus.
Over the next 10 years, Marsh's men shipped over 480 boxes of dinosaur bones from Como, and Marsh named dozens of new species.
Cope's fortunes dwindled, and he invested in silver mining, which failed, leaving him nearly destitute.

The Bone Wars spilled into public view when Cope accused Marsh of plagiarism, fraud, and corruption in a tabloid newspaper, and Marsh fired back, further tarnishing each other's reputations.
Neither Marsh nor Cope ever relented in their rivalry.
Despite their bitter feud, both men greatly expanded our understanding of evolution, highlighting the personal nature of scientific enterprise.