Thom Holmes (1)

An account of the fossil-hunting careers and increasingly bitter feud between nineteenth-century paleontologists Marsh and Cope. This book is a wealth of information about the methods of paleontology and how they developed, the history of the science, and dinosaurs and early mammals, all placed into the context of a decades-long professional rivalry that spurred both scientists to rapid and enthusiastic discovery, but also lead to mistakes and even vindictive destruction of fossils to keep them out of the hands of the other. A great gateway into the scientific method for kids who like dinosaurs, and dinosaurs are perennial favorites among kidkind.… (altro)

Edward Cope and Othniel Marsh, two scientific giants in 19th century paleontology, discovered and described many types of dinosaurs through their extended expeditions to the American West. However, the two US scientists became bitter rivals in their efforts to outdo each other. The feud between Cope and Marsh is legendary and has been the subject of several books as well as a PBS documentary. Fossil Feud tells of their lives and famous rivalry, in a well-illustrated book suitable for both adolescents and adults.

Fossil Feud captures an exciting and dangerous period in the history of science. It takes place in the mid to late 1800s, at a time when hunting for fossils in the western territories entailed physical hardships and dangers, as well as risks of attack by Native Americans. However, the American west was a treasure trove of dinosaurs previously unknown to science. These included the great carnivorous theropods of North America (such as Tyrannosaurus), the gigantic sauropods (such as Apatosaurus ), the armored herbivores (e.g. Triceratops and Stegosaurus), and many other forms familiar to dinosaur enthusiasts. Cope and Marsh were responsible for the discovery of an impressive number of the types of North American dinosaurs, as well as other fossil animals. What’s more, both scientists played central roles in development of paleontology as a science in the US, and in educating the general public, through museum displays of mounted dinosaur specimens. Many specimens currently on display in museums were originally found by Othniel Marsh (as at Yale’s Peabody Museum, and the Smithsonian Museum) and Edward Cope (at the Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia, and at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City).

One might think the American west plenty large enough for many fossil hunting expeditions, but it proved too small for the outsized ambitions of Cope and Marsh. As described in Fossil Feud, they competed over particular fossil sites, and vied to discover the most new species and the largest of the dinosaurs. In fact, their field workers even spied on and sabotaged each other’s efforts. For example, when leaving one locale, field workers would sometimes smash any remaining fossils so that they would not fall into the hands of the rival group. Further, in their haste to gain priority in print, Cope and Marsh sometimes assigned new names to specimens from previously- discovered species, and offered descriptions that were superficial and incomplete. As a result, many mistakes were made, and a number of the specimens that they thought to be new kinds actually turned out to be from previously described species. In fact, according to Fossil Feud, of 149 species that Marsh and Cope named, 37 are accepted as valid.

Fossil Feud is organized chronologically, and recounts the life stories and careers of the two men in parallel. The nine chapters are entitled as follows: (1) The Early Years of Marsh and Cope; (2) The Feud Begins; (3) Westward Ho! For Fossils; (4) Dinosaurs and Indians; (5) The Dinosaur Bone Rush; (6) Power Struggles and Changing Fortunes; (7) The Final Feud; (8) The End of the Trail; and (9) Who Won? The book also includes a series of appendices on the following: Where to see their fossils; Marsh’s rules of fossil collecting; Rigors of fossil hunting in the West; What is a dinosaur?; Geological time chart; Major dinosaur discoveries; Recommended reading list; Dinosaur museums in North America; and Becoming a dinosaur expert. The book is illustrated with original photographs, maps, anatomical drawings, and copies of newspaper stories and cartoons from the era.

In sum, Fossil Feud: The Rivalry of the First American Dinosaur Hunters tells an interesting story well, one about the development of American science in 19th century and the discoveries about our continent’s ancient history. It also humanizes science by showing how the ambitions, abilities, and character flaws of scientists can affect their scientific contributions. Readers of all ages will gain a better understanding of the history behind the dinosaur fossils they see in major American museums. As for the legacies of Cope and Marsh, their errors have been corrected, while their vital contributions to our understanding of North American prehistory remain unparalleled.… (altro)