n
n
n
nnThe Bone Wars! n
n
nn
n
n
n
nnThe GreatnDinosaur Rush!
n
nn
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nnOur birthday boyn(born in New York on this day in 1831) grew up to be a fossil hunternwho fought a “war” of discovery with another fossil hunter.
n
nn
n
n
n
nnOthniel Marshnwas a paleontologist. He led fossil-hunting excursions in the U.S.,nand they uncovered more than a thousand fossils, including 500 newnspecies of fossil animals. Fossils of flying pterosaurs, dinosaurs,ntoothed birds, and early horses…all sorts of fossils poured intonthe Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale, because of Marsh.
n
nn
n
n
n
 |
| Marsh (on the right) vs. Cope (on the left) |
n
nnBut Marsh’snrival, who used to be his friend, a man name Edward DrinkernCope, was very competitive and was trying just as hard to uncover andndiscover fossils just as fast as Marsh was. Both sides of the rivalrynacted badly, using underhanded methods and even resorting to briberynand theft! Worse still, some bones were destroyed in the rivalry—sonnow nobody can learn whatever story those bones would have told!nIsn’t that sad?
n
nn
n
n
n
n
n
nnBy the end ofnthe Bone Wars, both Marsh and Cope had exhausted their funds. ButnMarsh considered that he “won,” since he found 80 new species ofndinosaurs, and Cope only found 56.
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nTonlearn more about the Bone Wars,ncheck out Wyoming’s Tales and Trail‘s page.
n
n
n
n
n
nBetternyet, find the book The Bone Wars, by KathrynnLasky. (Amazon says “for grades 8 and up.”)
n
n
n
n
n
nAnothernbook called Bone Wars isna science fiction/alternate history book written by Brett Davis. Thisnbook takes reality – the Marsh/Cope rivalry – as its basis butnadds a girl (or woman?) masquerading as a cowboy, some Sioux Indians,nand two aliens – all of whom join Marsh and Cope in the GreatnDinosaur Rush. Apparently the book is written for adults, and Inwonder if there is content that would upset kids. If anyone has readnit, leave a comment.
n
n
n
n
n
nTherenis also a game called “Bone Wars: The Game of RuthlessnPaleontology.”
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
