Fossil Feud: The Bone Wars of the 19th Century

The Bone Wars, also known as the Great Dinosaur Rush, was a period of intense fossil hunting and discovery during the late 19th century.Show more

The Bone Wars were primarily driven by the heated rivalry between two paleontologists, Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. This fierce competition significantly contributed to the discovery of numerous dinosaur fossils in the western United States, particularly in states like Wyoming and Colorado.

The feud between Marsh and Cope began in the 1870s when numerous dinosaur fossils were discovered in the American West. The competition between the two scientists led to a race to uncover and name new dinosaur species.

Initially, they maintained a collegial relationship, exchanging ideas and specimens. However, as their ambition and desire for recognition intensified, their collaboration quickly turned into a fierce rivalry.

The rivalry was fueled by a combination of professional jealousy, personal animosity, and the intense pressure to outdo one another in the field of paleontology. Both Cope and Marsh sought to amass the largest collection of dinosaur fossils, and they spared no expense in their pursuit.

This led to a frantic race to discover, describe, and name new dinosaur species, often without thorough scientific scrutiny.

The Bone Wars were characterized by underhanded tactics, including bribery of quarry workers to provother's ide exclusive access to fossil-rich sites, espionage, and attempts to discredit each work.

The two paleontologists engaged in a relentless public relations battle, using newspapers and scientific journals to criticize and undermine their opponent's credibility.

The competition reached its peak during the late 1870s and early 1880s. The two scientists were so focused on outdoing each other that they sometimes overlooked the accuracy of their findings. This resulted in the misclassification and misinterpretation of several dinosaur species, which later had to be corrected by subsequent generations of paleontologists.

Cope and Marsh continued to feud until the early 1890s, when they both began to suffer from financial problems. Cope's financial woes were partly due to his own extravagance, but they were also exacerbated by his obsession with outdoing Marsh. Marsh's financial problems were due in part to the high cost of his fossil expeditions, but they were also exacerbated by his legal battles with Cope.

Marsh died in 1897, and Cope died in 1899. Both men were deeply in debt at the time of their deaths.

Despite the negative aspects of the Bone Wars, it played a pivotal role in advancing the field of paleontology and included the discovery of over 140 new species of dinosaurs, including species of Triceratops, Allosaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus.

Photo credits: ScottRobertAnselmo, Ad Meskens, Anky-man, Allie_Caulfield, Michael Barera, The_Wookies @ wiki commons

Music - Lit by JNGS