按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
hrub after him。 some botanical purists still insist on spelling it wistaria 。
by this time； however； paleontological momentum had moved to england。 in 1812； atlyme regis on the dorset coast； an extraordinary child named mary anning鈥攁ged eleven；twelve； or thirteen； depending on whose account you read鈥攆ound a strange fossilized seamonster； seventeen feet long and now known as the ichthyosaurus； embedded in the steep anddangerous cliffs along the english channel。
it was the start of a remarkable career。 anning would spend the next thirty…five yearsgathering fossils； which she sold to visitors。 （she is monly held to be the source for thefamous tongue twister 鈥渟he sells seashells on the seashore。鈥潱he would also find the firstplesiosaurus； another marine monster； and one of the first and best pterodactyls。 though noneof these was technically a dinosaur； that wasn鈥檛 terribly relevant at the time since nobody then knew what a dinosaur was。 it was enough to realize that the world had once held creaturesstrikingly unlike anything we might now find。
it wasn鈥檛 simply that anning was good at spotting fossils鈥攖hough she was unrivalled atthat鈥攂ut that she could extract them with the greatest delicacy and without damage。 if youever have the chance to visit the hall of ancient marine reptiles at the natural history museumin london； i urge you to take it for there is no other way to appreciate the scale and beauty ofwhat this young woman achieved working virtually unaided with the most basic tools innearly impossible conditions。 the plesiosaur alone took her ten years of patient excavation。
although untrained； anning was also able to provide petent drawings and descriptions forscholars。 but even with the advantage of her skills； significant finds were rare and she passedmost of her life in poverty。
it would be hard to think of a more overlooked person in the history of paleontology thanmary anning； but in fact there was one who came painfully close。 his name was gideonalgernon mantell and he was a country doctor in sussex。
mantell was a lanky assemblage of shortings鈥攈e was vain； self…absorbed； priggish；neglectful of his family鈥攂ut never was there a more devoted amateur paleontologist。 he wasalso lucky to have a devoted and observant wife。 in 1822； while he was making a house callon a patient in rural sussex； mrs。 mantell went for a stroll down a nearby lane and in a pile ofrubble that had been left to fill potholes she found a curious object鈥攁 curved brown stone；about the size of a small walnut。 knowing her husband鈥檚 interest in fossils； and thinking itmight be one； she took it to him。 mantell could see at once it was a fossilized tooth； and aftera little study became certain that it was from an animal that was herbivorous； reptilian；extremely large鈥攖ens of feet long鈥攁nd from the cretaceous period。 he was right on allcounts； but these were bold conclusions since nothing like it had been seen before or evenimagined。
aware that his finding would entirely upend what was understood about the past； and urgedby his friend the reverend william buckland鈥攈e of the gowns and experimental appetite鈥攖o proceed with caution； mantell devoted three painstaking years to seeking evidence tosupport his conclusions。 he sent the tooth to cuvier in paris for an opinion； but the greatfrenchman dismissed it as being from a hippopotamus。 （cuvier later apologized handsomelyfor this uncharacteristic error。） one day while doing research at the hunterian museum inlondon； mantell fell into conversation with a fellow researcher who told him the tooth lookedvery like those of animals he had been studying； south american iguanas。 a hastyparison confirmed the resemblance。 and so mantell鈥檚 creature became iguanodon ； aftera basking tropical lizard to which it was not in any manner related。
mantell prepared a paper for delivery to the royal society。 unfortunately it emerged thatanother dinosaur had been found at a quarry in oxfordshire and had just been formallydescribed鈥攂y the reverend buckland； the very man who had urged him not to work in haste。
it was the megalosaurus； and the name was actually suggested to buckland by his friend dr。
james parkinson； the would…be radical and eponym for parkinson鈥檚 disease。 buckland； it maybe recalled； was foremost a geologist； and he showed it with his work on megalosaurus。 in hisreport； for the transactions of the geological society of london ； he noted that the creature鈥檚teeth were not attached directly to the jawbone as in lizards but placed in sockets in themanner of crocodiles。 but having noticed this much； buckland failed to realize what it meant：
megalosaurus was an entirely new type of creature。 so although his report demonstrated littleacuity or insight； it was still the first published description of a dinosaur； and so to him rather than the far more deserving mantell goes the credit for the discovery of this ancient line ofbeings。
unaware that disappointment was going to be a continuing feature of his life； mantellcontinued hunting for fossils鈥攈e found another giant； the hylaeosaurus； in 1833鈥攁ndpurchasing others from quarrymen and farmers until he had probably the largest fossilcollection in britain。 mantell was an excellent doctor and equally gifted bone hunter； but hewas unable to support both his talents。 as his collecting mania grew； he neglected his medicalpractice。 soon fossils filled nearly the whole of his house in brighton and consumed much ofhis ine。 much of the rest went to underwriting the publication of books that few cared toown。 illustrations of the geology of sussex ； published in 1827； sold only fifty copies and lefthim 锟�300 out of pocket鈥攁n unfortably substantial sum for the times。
in some desperation mantell hit on the idea of turning his house into a museum andcharging admission； then belatedly realized that such a mercenary act would ruin his standingas a gentleman； not to mention as a scientist； and so he allowed people to visit the house forfree。 they came in their hundreds； week after week； disrupting both his practice and his homelife。 eventually he was forced to sell most of his collection to pay off his debts。 soon after； hiswife left him； taking their four children with her。
remarkably； his troubles were only just beginning。
in the district of sydenham in south london； at a place called crystal palace park； therestands a strange and forgotten sight： the world鈥檚 first life…sized models of dinosaurs。 not manypeople travel there these days； but once this was one of the most popular attractions inlondon鈥攊n effect； as richard fortey has noted； the world鈥檚 first theme park。 quite a lotabout the models is not strictly correct。 the iguanodon鈥檚 thumb has been placed on its nose；as a kind of spike； and it stands on four sturdy legs； making it look like a rather stout andawkwardly overgrown dog。 （in life； the iguanodon did not crouch on all fours； but wasbipedal。） looking at them now you would scarcely guess that these odd and lumbering beastscould cause great rancor and bitterness； but they did。 perhaps nothing in natural history hasbeen at the center of fiercer and more enduring hatreds than the line of ancient beasts knownas dinosaurs。
at the time of the dinosaurs鈥櫋onstruction； sydenham was on the edge of london and itsspacious park was considered an ideal place to re…erect the famous crystal palace； the glassand cast…iron structure that had been the centerpiece of the great exhibition of 1851； and fromwhich the new park naturally took its name。 the dinosaurs； built of concrete； were a kind ofbonus attraction。 on new year鈥檚 eve 1853 a famous dinner for twenty…one prominentscientists was held inside the unfinished iguanodon。 gideon mantell； the man who had foundand identified the iguanodon； was not among them。 the person at the head of the table wasthe greatest star of the young science of paleontology。 his name was richard owen and bythis time he had already devoted several productive years to making gideon mantell鈥檚 lifehell。
owen had grown up in lancaster； in the north of england； where he had trained as a doctor。
he was a born anatomist and so devoted to his studies that he sometimes illicitly borrowedlimbs； organs； and other parts from cadavers and took them home for leisurely dissection。
once while carrying a sack containing the head of a black african sailor that he had just removed； owen slipped on a wet cobble and watched in horror as the head bounced awayfrom him down the lane and through the open doorway of a cottage； where it came to rest inthe front parlor。 what the occupants had to say upon finding an unattached head rolling to ahalt at their feet can only be imagined。 one assumes that they had not formed any terriblyadvanced conclusions when； an instant later； a fraught…looking young man rushed in；wordlessly retrieved the head； and rushed out again。
in 1825； aged just twenty…one； owen moved to london and soon after was engaged by theroyal college of surgeons to help organize their extensive； but disordered； collections ofmedical and anatomical specimens。 most of these had been left to the institution by johnhunter； a distinguished surgeon and tireless collector of medical curiosities； b