The Feud That Almost Destroyed Paleontology

The Bone Wars were a period of intense rivalry between paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh from 1864 to 1897. Their feud involved underhanded tactics, including dynamiting dig sites and hiring agents to steal fossils. Despite their sloppy work, they made significant contributions to paleontology, although many of their discoveries were later invalidated. The rivalry tarnished their reputations and left a lasting impact on the field. Joseph Leidy, Cope's mentor, emerged as a more successful figure, while the Smithsonian benefited from the fossils collected during this period.

What was the primary goal of Cope and Marsh during the Bone Wars?

• To discover and catalog new dinosaur species

• To publish joint scientific papers

• To discredit each other's work

• To collaborate on fossil discoveries

How did Marsh publicly humiliate Cope regarding the Elasmosaurus skeleton?

• By discussing it on a radio show

• By publishing a book about it

• By writing a letter to the New York Herald

• By presenting it at a scientific conference

What tactic did Cope and Marsh use to sabotage each other's fossil digs?

• Publishing false scientific papers

• Destroying each other's laboratories

• Bribing government officials

• Hiring agents to steal fossils

What was Marsh's strategy to take Cope's fossils legally?

• He claimed Cope's fossils were stolen

• He sued Cope for defamation

• He bribed Cope's workers to testify against him

• He passed a law to seize fossils funded by the government

What was the outcome of Marsh's legal attempt to seize Cope's fossils?

• The fossils were sold to a private collector

• The fossils were destroyed in a fire

• Cope proved ownership with receipts

• Marsh successfully took all of Cope's fossils

What was the long-term impact of the Bone Wars on paleontology?

• It resulted in the closure of many museums

• It led to the discovery of over 200 new species

• It tarnished the reputation of fossil hunting

• It caused a decline in scientific interest in dinosaurs

Who was the real winner of the Bone Wars according to the transcript?

• Edward Drinker Cope

• The Smithsonian Museum

• Joseph Leidy

• Othniel Charles Marsh

What did Cope challenge Marsh to do in his will?

• Publish a joint paper

• Apologize publicly

• Weigh their brains after death

• Donate their fossils to a museum

How did the expansion of railroads impact the Bone Wars?

• It made fossil transportation easier

• It opened new excavation sites in the West

• It led to the discovery of marine fossils

• It caused a decline in fossil discoveries

What was the ironic twist in Marsh's legal strategy against Cope?

• Cope's fossils were returned to him

• Marsh was appointed head of the Smithsonian

• Cope's fossils were proven to be fake

• Marsh lost his own fossils to the Smithsonian