Reading 4/13 (Dinosaurs in the Attic)

In the Preface, on various occasions, Preston states that his book is not so much a book as a "collection of stories, histories, and anecdotes," and he focus more on the individuals than on collections. When looking at objects and collections, it is important to look at the people collecting them, and their reasoning in doing so. This is evident in "The Great Dinosaur 'Gold Rush'" chapter where Preston describes how and why certain paleontologists collected fossils. For example, Barnum Brown's desire to collect was present at a young age, collecting fossil shells in Kansas, and that curiosity followed him into adulthood and into the American Museum of Natural History. Or, Othniel C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope whose reason to collect fossils seemed to stem from a hatred of the other. Preston, as far as I could tell, through his writing, is trying "display" the individuals whose life work is on display in the museum, giving these paleontologists some pubic attention. In the preface, Preston also mentions how he has chosen to write about certain individuals who he feels deserve attention (Preston's entire book has no mention of Margaret Mead), and whose lives are just as interesting as the objects that they have found. Chapter Six gives attention the the people behind the objects.

Despite all the unnecessary yet interesting facts about the various paleontologists and collectors mentioned, Preston still manages to convey the importance of the objects that were found, bones and fossils. Most of the knowledge we have of prehistoric environments is the result of careful studying of bones, teeth, and their placement when found. Much of the knowledge we have about extinct mammals and dinosaurs was extracted from studying bones and teeth, revealing an animal's age, diet, predators, movement, etc. Bones, along with other sceintific knowledge, allow scientists to piece together the past,sometimes inaccurately, as was the case with Jumbo and the Warren Mastodon's exaggerated mounts.


138, 131, 121,
65, 61, 75, x
Preface, chapter 6, ch. 10