Woodcuts and Wood-Engravings

Richard Owen (1804-1892)
A History of British Fossil Mammals and Birds
London: J. Van Voorst, 1846

Richard Owen was an English botanist, anatomist, and palaeontologist, who coined the term "Dinosauria," from which comes the now more common word, dinosaur. He is also well known for his staunch opposition to Darwin's theory of natural selection, favoring an evolution that was more complex than Darwin presented it. He engaged in the protracted debate over evolution, which at times became "ugly." Owen's great legacy, though, is his work in establishing the British Museum in London. He was its first director and his statue still stands in the entry hall there. The creation of that museum really changed how we thought museums should function. Featured here is one of his works on fossils.

Page 217, Siberian Mammoth

Return to Exhibits Home