Richard Owen

Natural History Museum London Jan 2006

Richard Owen cottage

Richard Owen 1856

Dinosaur coining of the word in 1841

Camel Skeleton - Richard Owen - On the Anatomy of Vertebrates (1866)

Richard Owen (20 July 1804 – 18 December 1892) was an English biologist, comparative anatomist, and paleontologist. He is best known for coining the term Dinosauria and for his work on the classification of fossils. Owen was a controversial figure in his time, known for his sharp criticism of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Richard Owen was born in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. He was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and later attended the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. He completed his medical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London.

Career[edit | edit source]

Owen began his career as an assistant to the surgeon John Abernethy at St Bartholomew's Hospital. In 1827, he was appointed assistant conservator of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He became the conservator in 1842, a position he held until 1856.

Contributions to Science[edit | edit source]

Owen made significant contributions to the field of comparative anatomy and paleontology. He is credited with the discovery and description of numerous extinct species, including the Moa and the Archaeopteryx. His work on the classification of vertebrates laid the foundation for modern taxonomy.

Dinosauria[edit | edit source]

In 1842, Owen coined the term Dinosauria to describe a distinct group of reptiles that included Megalosaurus, Iguanodon, and Hylaeosaurus. This classification was based on their unique anatomical features, which distinguished them from other reptiles.

Criticism of Darwin[edit | edit source]

Owen was a vocal critic of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. He believed in a more teleological approach to the development of life, which he termed "archetypes." Despite his opposition to Darwin's ideas, Owen's work on fossils provided important evidence for the theory of evolution.

Later Life and Legacy[edit | edit source]

In 1856, Owen was appointed superintendent of the natural history departments of the British Museum. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the Natural History Museum, London, which opened in 1881. Owen retired in 1884 and was knighted in 1884 for his contributions to science.

Owen's legacy is complex; he was both a pioneering scientist and a controversial figure. His work laid the groundwork for many areas of modern biology and paleontology, but his opposition to Darwin's theory of evolution has overshadowed some of his contributions.