Information Technology and the Conduct of Research The User's View Book

In Dinosaur Hunters Deborah Cadbury skilfully weaves together the story of the gradual unravelling of the mystery of dinosaur fossils with the story of one of the great scientific rivalries of the 19th century. When the first dinosaur fossils were found nobody knew what they were. Since they belonged to animals that had no exact modern counterparts it was difficult to know exactly how to piece together a whole creature from fragmentary remains. Even deciding which bones belonged to which creature was a puzzle. Two men who made an enormous contribution to the solving of these enigmas were Gideon Mantell and Richard Owen. Mantell was a doctor but fossils were his great love and his contribution was made at great personal cost. Owen was a man of considerable talent and immense ambition, and was burdened with few scruples. As far as Owen was concerned there was only room for one hero in this story and he intended to make certain it would be him. If that meant that Mantell would miss out on the recognition that was his due that was too bad. Victorian scientists were certainly a colourful lot, and Dean Buckland, who also plays an important early role in the story, was as colourful and eccentric as any. Another fascinating supporting character in the saga is Mary Anning, a working-class woman with no formal training whatsoever who just happened to have a phenomenal talent for finding fossils.