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Lost Dinosaur Letter Surfaces at UK Zoo
5 Jun
Summary
- A long-lost 19th-century letter from Sir Richard Owen is now on display.
- Sir Richard Owen coined the name 'Dinosauria' in 1842.
- The letter will be a centerpiece at an exhibition starting June 6th.
A crucial 19th-century letter written by Sir Richard Owen, the palaeontologist credited with coining the term "Dinosauria," is set to be publicly displayed at a zoo in Telford. This rediscovery offers a unique glimpse into the early days of palaeontology.
Sir Richard Owen, who lived from 1804 to 1892, first classified reptiles as dinosaurs in 1842. His recently found letter, originating from a Victorian autograph book, highlights his efforts to build a network for acquiring fossils for scientific analysis.
The exhibition featuring the letter commences on June 6th at the zoo's Telford Natural History Museum. This event coincides with the launch of the two-day Telford Fossil Festival, taking place at the attraction from June 6th to June 7th.
Owen, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, also founded London's Natural History Museum. His work analyzing fossil specimens was instrumental in shaping early understandings of dinosaurs and laid the groundwork for modern palaeontology.
