Sir Richard Owen
Sir Richard Owen (1804 to 1892) was, during his life, one of the most controversial biologists of the 19th century.
Today however he is principally remembered for three things.
Firstly it was Owen who first coined the term "dinosaur" (or to be more precise, "dinosauria"), which is of course the name used to describe a particular group of extinct reptiles.
Secondly, Owen helped create the Crystal Palace dinosaurs (originally for the Great Exhibition 1851), many of which are still intact and can be found in Dinosaur Court, Crystal Palace, South London (on New Years' Eve 1853, Owen famously hosted a dinner inside the model of Iguanodon).
Thirdly, Owen was perhaps the leading figure behind the establishment of a new natural history museum in South Kensington, London - today that museum is of course the Natural History Museum (but it was originally as a department of the British Museum).
Owen was born in Lancaster England in 1804.
He originally intended to become a surgeon, but on completing his education he became attracted to comparative anatomy and scientific research, and as a result this was the field in which he spent his career.
During his lifetime he wrote numerous papers, concerning the anatomy of both living and extinct species.
His work was conducted with both with fossil specimens and animal carcasses (he was famously granted right of first refusal to animal carcasses from London Zoo).
The controversy surrounding Owen concerns a number of incidents in his career.
Perhaps the best known one concerns Charles Darwin's theory of Natural Selection.
In 1860, the year after Darwin published "On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection", Owen wrote a critical review in the Edinburgh Review - however he did so anonymously (although his authorship of the review later became known).
As a result of this and a number of other incidents, Owen gradually became involved in a very heated and bitter dispute with Darwin's followers, especially T.
H.
Huxley.
Today however he is principally remembered for three things.
Firstly it was Owen who first coined the term "dinosaur" (or to be more precise, "dinosauria"), which is of course the name used to describe a particular group of extinct reptiles.
Secondly, Owen helped create the Crystal Palace dinosaurs (originally for the Great Exhibition 1851), many of which are still intact and can be found in Dinosaur Court, Crystal Palace, South London (on New Years' Eve 1853, Owen famously hosted a dinner inside the model of Iguanodon).
Thirdly, Owen was perhaps the leading figure behind the establishment of a new natural history museum in South Kensington, London - today that museum is of course the Natural History Museum (but it was originally as a department of the British Museum).
Owen was born in Lancaster England in 1804.
He originally intended to become a surgeon, but on completing his education he became attracted to comparative anatomy and scientific research, and as a result this was the field in which he spent his career.
During his lifetime he wrote numerous papers, concerning the anatomy of both living and extinct species.
His work was conducted with both with fossil specimens and animal carcasses (he was famously granted right of first refusal to animal carcasses from London Zoo).
The controversy surrounding Owen concerns a number of incidents in his career.
Perhaps the best known one concerns Charles Darwin's theory of Natural Selection.
In 1860, the year after Darwin published "On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection", Owen wrote a critical review in the Edinburgh Review - however he did so anonymously (although his authorship of the review later became known).
As a result of this and a number of other incidents, Owen gradually became involved in a very heated and bitter dispute with Darwin's followers, especially T.
H.
Huxley.
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