The History, Rivalry, and Resurrection of the Brontosaurus

Summary Question: Did the Brontosaurus exist?
Initial Answer: Yes, though the full answer is complex and involves over a century of scientific debate, taxonomic confusion, and personal rivalry.
Historical Timeline: The confusion surrounding the creature dates back to the late 19th century, specifically starting around 1877.

Key Figures: The history of the Brontosaurus is inextricably linked to the bitter rivalry between two paleontologists: Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope.
Evolution of Relationship:
- In the 1860s, Marsh and Cope were close friends and colleagues studying natural history.
- During this period of camaraderie, they respected each other enough to name newly discovered fossil species after one another.
Marsh’s Ambition and Betrayal:
- The transcript describes Marsh as "Slytherin ambitious."
- Cope invited Marsh to a fossil quarry to show him his work. Behind Cope's back, Marsh struck a secret deal with the owner of the quarry.
- This deal ensured that all fossils discovered at the site, along with the associated profits, would go exclusively to Marsh.
The Bone Wars: This betrayal triggered the "Bone Wars," a period of intense, aggressive competition where both men raced to find new ancient creatures and publish papers to claim credit first.
Mutual Destruction: The rivalry led both men to engage in slander and sabotage. Ultimately, the Bone Wars resulted in the financial and reputational ruin of both Marsh and Cope.
- Edward Drinker Cope's Productivity: Cope utilized a strategy referred to as "taxonomic carpet-bombing," publishing 1,400 articles throughout his 56-year career in an attempt to outpace Marsh.

Apatosaurus ajax (1877):
- Discovered by O.C. Marsh in 1877.
- The creature was described as a massive plant-eater with a long neck and a long tail.
- Incomplete Skeleton: The original skeleton found was incomplete. In his haste to receive credit and publish a reconstruction, Marsh mistakenly used the head of another dinosaur, a Camarasaurus, found in the vicinity to complete the mount.
Brontosaurus excelsus (1885):
- In 1885, fossil collectors working for Marsh sent him a more complete set of bones belonging to a larger herbivore with a long neck and tail.
- Marsh concluded this was a separate, unique animal and named it Brontosaurus excelsus.
- Cultural Impact: Marsh’s illustration of the Brontosaurus skeleton was the first dinosaur sketch to achieve widespread circulation among the general public, capturing the collective imagination and cementing the name "Brontosaurus" in popular culture.

The 1903 Ruling: Shortly after the deaths of Marsh and Cope, the scientific community began reviewing their work. A paleontologist noted extreme similarities between the Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus skeletons.
Synonymization: It was determined that Brontosaurus excelsus was actually just an adult specimen belonging to the already established Apatosaurus genus.
Loss of Status: Because Apatosaurus was named first (1877), scientific naming conventions dictated it had priority. In 1903, Brontosaurus lost its official status as a distinct genus.
Persistence in Museums: Despite the 1903 ruling, museums did not immediately update their records.
- Starting in 1905, sauropod displays appeared globally labeled as Brontosaurus excelsus.
- Many of these displays continued to incorrectly use the Camarasaurus head reconstruction.
- These pervasive errors were not corrected on a large scale until the 1990s.

The Tschopp Study (April 2015): A group led by paleontologist Emanuel Tschopp conducted an extensive study analyzing 81 different sauropod specimens.
Key Findings:
- The study concluded that the original Brontosaurus excelsus skeleton discovered by Marsh possesses enough anatomical differences from Apatosaurus to be considered its own distinct genus.
- The researchers further suggested that there should be two additional species included within the resurrected Brontosaurus genus.
Current Standing: While the "thunder lizard" is no longer considered a fake or a mistake, the Brontosaurus genus is not "back" with 100% certainty yet. It depends on the scientific community reaching a formal consensus regarding whether the differences identified by Tschopp warrant a separate genus from Apatosaurus.

Question: Will the Brontosaurus always live on in your heart?
Context: This was posed to the audience to gauge the emotional and cultural connection the public has with the name Brontosaurus, despite its turbulent scientific history.
Further Resources: The transcript recommends a two-part podcast series from "Stuff You Missed in History Class" for more in-depth coverage of the Bone Wars and the Marsh-Cope rivalry.