Megalosaurus Essay
that the fossils were of a giant lizard-like animal which he named Megalosaurus bucklandii. Geologist James Parkinson decided that the creature “should be called 'Megalosaurus (Megalos, great; saurus, a lizard)' (Delair and Sarjeant, 2002, p. 192)”. The discovery took the science world by storm. Other scientists, like Georges Cuvier, soon identified their own fossils as new species of animals similar to the Megalosaurus and the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London where Buckland first published his discovery “became the leading journal in which studies on British dinosaurs were published. A remarkable 35 dinosaur taxa, representing 32% of the 108 dinosaurs that we recognize as valid or as nomina dubia, have been named in Society
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In an odd but fitting manner, his grave diggers needed to use explosives in order to dig his grave because he chose a spot where limestone from the Jurassic period was right near the surface (Oxford University Museum of Natural History, n.d., p. 6). His impact on geology is large because he made discoveries and supported theories in multiple aspects of the field. His most famous discovery, Megalosuarus bucklandii, bears his name and remains one of the most important discoveries in human history because it showed that Earth is very old, a lot older than the masses believed. Buckland’s change from a Biblical “flood geologist” to a supporter of Louis Agassiz’s ultimately correct theory that glaciers used to cover land in Europe and parts of the rest of the world shows that even a devout religious figure can understand that religion and science are not separate from each other. The discovery of coprolites added even more ways to study fossilized remains of animals, including dinosaurs. Buckland’s legacy is felt at Oxford University, where his papers and Megalosaurus fossils are on display. He taught at the university for many years, where his lectures “which were always well-attended, not only by students but also by senior members of the university (Oxford University Museum of Natural History, n.d., p.
In an odd but fitting manner, his grave diggers needed to use explosives in order to dig his grave because he chose a spot where limestone from the Jurassic period was right near the surface (Oxford University Museum of Natural History, n.d., p. 6). His impact on geology is large because he made discoveries and supported theories in multiple aspects of the field. His most famous discovery, Megalosuarus bucklandii, bears his name and remains one of the most important discoveries in human history because it showed that Earth is very old, a lot older than the masses believed. Buckland’s change from a Biblical “flood geologist” to a supporter of Louis Agassiz’s ultimately correct theory that glaciers used to cover land in Europe and parts of the rest of the world shows that even a devout religious figure can understand that religion and science are not separate from each other. The discovery of coprolites added even more ways to study fossilized remains of animals, including dinosaurs. Buckland’s legacy is felt at Oxford University, where his papers and Megalosaurus fossils are on display. He taught at the university for many years, where his lectures “which were always well-attended, not only by students but also by senior members of the university (Oxford University Museum of Natural History, n.d., p.