The Petty Feud That Almost Destroyed Paleontology
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Date: 2022-12-29
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Comments and reviews: 17
Fermin
Sorry, but I have to point out some mistakes here - can't resist!
1: 40 I'm afraid you describing it wrong. Cope, after a year of reconstruction, had already written an article and sent it to some other scientists. Marsh, who soon came to visit Cope at his house, pointed out the error and they brought in Leidy to make a decision. It fell in Marsh's favor.
Unfortunately, Leidy also later mentioned this mistake - although diplomaticly - on a public conference, which embarassed Cope even more.
2: 37 It was Marsh who found and described Brontosaurus. And unlike you would expect, it wasn't Cope who made the Brontosaurus-term unvalid, but a group of researchers that re-examined Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus after Marsh's death.
3: 57 Joseph Leidy actually didn't find Hadrosaurus, but only described and classified the bones discovered by William Parker Foulke.
4: 35 Yeah, as nice as it would be, the two species they named after each other were never considered dinosaurs, but rather a Mosasaur and an amphibian, both of whom would later be re-classified under different names.
As much flag as they deserve for their unprofessional and competitive behaviour, you can't entirely blame them for the re-evaluation of their named genuses. Science marches on, and standards and methods on classification have changed (again, Brontosaurus was devalued and re-evalued by a group of scientists who indeed took their time. Even Leidy was quick to name new species on very little evidence (Troodon formosus! :( ) and had some of them go unvalid.
Also, it's also necessary to mention the positive effects they had. They mentored and supported a good deal of scientists who later made considerable accomplishments (the Sternbergs, John Bell Hatcher, Henry Fairfield Osborn, etc) and also engaged peacefully with the native americans they encountered.
So to say they destroyed palaeontology is a little too much.
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Sorry, but I have to point out some mistakes here - can't resist!
1: 40 I'm afraid you describing it wrong. Cope, after a year of reconstruction, had already written an article and sent it to some other scientists. Marsh, who soon came to visit Cope at his house, pointed out the error and they brought in Leidy to make a decision. It fell in Marsh's favor.
Unfortunately, Leidy also later mentioned this mistake - although diplomaticly - on a public conference, which embarassed Cope even more.
2: 37 It was Marsh who found and described Brontosaurus. And unlike you would expect, it wasn't Cope who made the Brontosaurus-term unvalid, but a group of researchers that re-examined Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus after Marsh's death.
3: 57 Joseph Leidy actually didn't find Hadrosaurus, but only described and classified the bones discovered by William Parker Foulke.
4: 35 Yeah, as nice as it would be, the two species they named after each other were never considered dinosaurs, but rather a Mosasaur and an amphibian, both of whom would later be re-classified under different names.
As much flag as they deserve for their unprofessional and competitive behaviour, you can't entirely blame them for the re-evaluation of their named genuses. Science marches on, and standards and methods on classification have changed (again, Brontosaurus was devalued and re-evalued by a group of scientists who indeed took their time. Even Leidy was quick to name new species on very little evidence (Troodon formosus! :( ) and had some of them go unvalid.
Also, it's also necessary to mention the positive effects they had. They mentored and supported a good deal of scientists who later made considerable accomplishments (the Sternbergs, John Bell Hatcher, Henry Fairfield Osborn, etc) and also engaged peacefully with the native americans they encountered.
So to say they destroyed palaeontology is a little too much.
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Jason
Well, Joseph Leidy's name is the one that I learned about in second grade for discovering the first US dinosaur skeleton, so I guess he won. He was like, screw you guys ima go study invertibrates. He also was the first to use a microscope to solve a murder by confirming that blood on the murder weapon was human blood and not chicken blood. Brilliant guy, and also a reasonable human being.
What a great story, nice video!
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Well, Joseph Leidy's name is the one that I learned about in second grade for discovering the first US dinosaur skeleton, so I guess he won. He was like, screw you guys ima go study invertibrates. He also was the first to use a microscope to solve a murder by confirming that blood on the murder weapon was human blood and not chicken blood. Brilliant guy, and also a reasonable human being.
What a great story, nice video!
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Kevin
Copes will didnt only specify that his brain be removed and measured. He also specified that his skull be preserved as well. His wishes are still respected to this day, as his skull is still preserved in storage in a museum in Philadelphia.
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Copes will didnt only specify that his brain be removed and measured. He also specified that his skull be preserved as well. His wishes are still respected to this day, as his skull is still preserved in storage in a museum in Philadelphia.
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No
Okay. you do Win the Weird in Weird History award for this one. Go figure. When I am buried; I want my Skull exchanged for a Cat or Dog Skull. Let future archeologists & Space aliens chew over That one! Kudos! Darth Airborne Nobody 55 NYC
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Okay. you do Win the Weird in Weird History award for this one. Go figure. When I am buried; I want my Skull exchanged for a Cat or Dog Skull. Let future archeologists & Space aliens chew over That one! Kudos! Darth Airborne Nobody 55 NYC
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education
The info in this was so good but felt like it was skipping around a lot. Would've preferred chronological order or something to be more coherent! Such great work though and love the vid!
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The info in this was so good but felt like it was skipping around a lot. Would've preferred chronological order or something to be more coherent! Such great work though and love the vid!
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David
Imagine what they couldve done if they worked together. Oh well, scientists can be just as petty and spiteful as anyone else. Intellect and common sense are two different things.
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Imagine what they couldve done if they worked together. Oh well, scientists can be just as petty and spiteful as anyone else. Intellect and common sense are two different things.
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Anna
Makes one pretty angry when you think about all the people excluded from the field who wouldn't have done something so petty and ridiculous as blow up fossils
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Makes one pretty angry when you think about all the people excluded from the field who wouldn't have done something so petty and ridiculous as blow up fossils
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Courtney
So these 2 bone-heads basically couldve easily destroyed swveral dinosaurs. Rip to the dinosaurs that may never be seen or found because of 2 bone-heads
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So these 2 bone-heads basically couldve easily destroyed swveral dinosaurs. Rip to the dinosaurs that may never be seen or found because of 2 bone-heads
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Aldo
Marsh is the person who also discredited the Cardiff Giant. When you learn about his ruthless competitive nature, you have to wonder about his motivation.
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Marsh is the person who also discredited the Cardiff Giant. When you learn about his ruthless competitive nature, you have to wonder about his motivation.
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Amy
I love this! I didnt know any of this until I watched the video!
Can you please do a video on Sir Arthur Conan Doyles weird obsession with fairies?
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I love this! I didnt know any of this until I watched the video!
Can you please do a video on Sir Arthur Conan Doyles weird obsession with fairies?
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whatever.
I wish they didn't blow up a lot of there discoveries it would have been amazing to see a lot more of them but it is kinda entertaining
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I wish they didn't blow up a lot of there discoveries it would have been amazing to see a lot more of them but it is kinda entertaining
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Sayge
Can someone list the source that says they blew up each other's sites? I'm currently writing a paper and I can't find anything about it.
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Can someone list the source that says they blew up each other's sites? I'm currently writing a paper and I can't find anything about it.
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whatever.
I love Paleotology not just because dinosaurs but I love studying the people who discovered them and I wanna find out more them
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I love Paleotology not just because dinosaurs but I love studying the people who discovered them and I wanna find out more them
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Trike7117
To me these two represent what NOT to do in paleontology we should work together to make discoverys not fight over the spoils
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To me these two represent what NOT to do in paleontology we should work together to make discoverys not fight over the spoils
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Cristian-Ionut
Sounds like they were 100% gay for each other and just bullying each other like confused high schoolers.
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Sounds like they were 100% gay for each other and just bullying each other like confused high schoolers.
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education
How ridiculous to carry on I'm better than you competition after death. My brain is bigger than yours!
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How ridiculous to carry on I'm better than you competition after death. My brain is bigger than yours!
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Rosa
This is the pettiest weird history video ever ad I love it also I cant imagine hating anyone THIS much wow
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This is the pettiest weird history video ever ad I love it also I cant imagine hating anyone THIS much wow
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