David B. Weishampel & Nadine M. White (eds.) (2003): The dinosaur papers
1676-1906. - 524 pp.; Washington (Smithsonian Books). ISBN
1-58834-122-4. $75.00
According to the blurb at Amazon:
"This unique collection is a journey of discovery through one of the most
exciting periods of science. Here is the history of paleontology, spanning
from the discovery of the first dinosaur bone by Robert Plot (which he
mistook as a leg bone from an extinct race of giant humans) to the discovery
and classification of T. rex. What makes this collection truly unique is
that the editors have included translations of classic European papers,
giving their story a global focus. Each section of the book is accompanied
by a commentary from the editors that puts each paper in context. The
artwork is outstanding, containing all the classic dinosaur sketches,
including the "missing link" between dinosaurs and birds: Archaeopteryx. 84
b/w illustrations."
Two points:
(1) It was my understanding that the "dinosaur bone" in question (distal
femur of a megalosaur?) was regarded by Mr Plot not as a "leg bone", but the
petrified remains of another part of the human anatomy. (So little wonder
that Mr Plot thought this extinct giant to be a man - a BIG man.)
(2) An old chestnut: If _Archaeopteryx_ is known to be the "missing link",
then it isn't missing.
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