This post is by Jessica Fries-Gaither, a 2024-2025 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Library of Congress.
How do paleontologists interpret the bones they find? How do they reconstruct skeletons? Are they ever wrong?
The second half of the 1800s was a time of intense exploration and discovery in American paleontology, as scientists and explorers rushed to discover the fossilized remains of new species. The story of the “Bone Wars,” a bitter rivalry between competing paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope exemplifies the obsession with discovery during this time. In 1868, Cope rushed to publish the discovery of a new plesiosaur species (a new type of Elasmosaurus). In his haste he reconstructed the skeleton incorrectly, reversing the vertebrae and placing the head at the end of the tail instead of the neck.
Marsh and Cope had first met as natural history graduate students in Germany. Initially friends, the relationship quickly disintegrated into a competitive rivalry and, later, all-out hatred. Marsh questioned Cope’s reconstruction of the skeleton, and the mistake was confirmed by another paleontologist. Embarrassed, Cope published a correction and tried to buy back all the copies of the original article, but Marsh wouldn’t let him forget it.
The feud continued for the rest of the men’s lives and was chronicled in a series of newspaper articles. In this excerpt from an 1890 article, Marsh replies to criticism from Cope by dredging up the incident from 22 years prior.
Excerpt from “Professor Marsh Replies,” Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]), 20 Jan. 1890. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82015483/1890-01-20/ed-1/?sp=2
While the details of the Marsh-Cope feud are interesting, the story of Cope’s mistake can spark student conversation around the nature of paleontology and the role uncertainty and errors play in the discipline.
Share this excerpt of the longer article with students. What do they notice? What do they wonder? The Analyzing Newspapers Teachers Guide provides additional questions to engage students in discussion.
Next, take the conversation further by asking some science-specific questions (if students haven’t posed them already):
- What information do paleontologists need to reconstruct the skeleton of an extinct animal?
- How do paleontologists work with broken or missing bones?
- How do paleontologists know that their work is correct?
- What happens if they reconstruct a skeleton incorrectly?
In addition to conducting research to answer these questions, students may also enjoy learning about other notable errors in paleontology and how our understanding of dinosaurs and other extinct creatures has changed over time.
blogs.loc.gov · Public Domain