Early American Paleontology: Dinosaurs, Fossil Discoveries & Key Scientists

Who was Cotton Mather and what was his contribution to paleontology?

Cotton Mather was an influential Puritan minister in Boston who interpreted a tooth found near Albany, NY, as remains of a giant from the Bible, considered the first American fossil discovered.

What society did Ben Franklin and John Bartram found in 1743?

They founded The American Philosophical Society, a homegrown society to support 'useful knowledge'.

What significant discovery did Charles Willson Peale make in 1801?

He excavated a nearly complete skeleton of a Mastodon, which created a public sensation.

What did Thomas Jefferson contribute to American paleontology?

Jefferson was a pioneer American paleontologist who described a discovered claw as part of a lion, later identified as a giant ground sloth (megatherium).

What was Capt William Clark's contribution to paleontology?

He found fossils in Pompey's Pillar and described one as a fish.

What was the significance of the American Journal of Science founded in 1818?

It was founded and edited by Benjamin Silliman, marking an important outlet for scientific communication in America.

What was the role of Nathan Smith in American paleontology?

He studied a specimen at Yale referred to as the Triassic dinosaur Anchiosaurus.

What did Edward Hitchcock describe in Connecticut?

He described fossil footprints as 'giant birds', which are now considered dinosaur footprints.

What was Basilosaurus initially thought to be?

It was thought to be a giant lizard but later identified as a fossil whale.

Who was Joseph Leidy and what was his contribution?

Joseph Leidy is known as the father of American vertebrate paleontology and described the first 5-7 American dinosaurs in 1856.

What is Hadrosaurus foulkii known for?

It could be considered America's first dinosaur, being about 40-50% complete and the first to be mounted in a life-like pose.

What was the significance of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science?

Established in 1812, it is the oldest natural science museum still open in America and an important institution for natural science.

What did Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins design for Central Park?

He designed a Paleozoic museum and put together a Hadrosaur model.

What did Thomas Say promote in 1819?

He was the first American to promote William Smith's chronometric approach to fossils.

What did Richard Harlan contribute to the understanding of Basilosaurus?

He was the first to describe Basilosaurus as a dinosaur, although it was later recognized as a mammal.

What was the significance of the Smithsonian Institution founded in 1846?

It was the first stand-alone natural history museum and played a crucial role in American natural science.

What is paleoiconology?

It is the study of fossil footprints, which was invented by Edward Hitchcock.

What did the cycle of natural knowledge in America involve?

It included the roles of collectors, patrons, journals, and repositories in the advancement of natural science.

What was the type specimen of Palaeoscinus?

It consists of two distinct anklyosaurian teeth.

What is unique about the type specimen of Troodon formosus?

Troodon is the only one of Leidy's first five genera that is still used today.

What did Charles Lyell observe during his trip to America in 1841?

He noted that America had great potential for filling gaps in the fossil record.