Just read about The Bone Wars which I never knew existed. This name was given to a bitter competition between two paleontologists, Yale’s O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope of Philadelphia. Apparently they had a rather unscholarly-like ambitions which led them to less than gentlemanly behaviour and in the process we’ve all been played.
In trying to undo each other they would race dinosaur names into publication with little regard to scientific evidence.
One of them put the wrong head on an Apatosaurus, called it Brontosaurus which actually never existed! But the name stuck as well as the image of a Brontosaurus that has scared countless little ones and big ones for decades.
According to Matt Lamanna, curator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh,
“Brontosaurus means ‘thunder lizard. “It’s a big, evocative name, whereas Apatosaurus means ‘deceptive lizard.’ It’s quite a bit more boring.”
This led me to thinking about my skull and names. When I was younger my appearance was definitely different: Smooth skin, sparkly black eyes and my skull was a lot thinner; Now my skin reflects a life of “experience”, my eyes red from lack of sleep and MY Skull is A LOT THICKER.
So . . . if I get buried and an unscrupulous, overly ambitious scientist finds my thick skull and puts it on a lizard skeleton what would I be named 100 years hence:
Judosaurus or Judithosaurus ?
Not sure how it would work with your name . . . but I think I’ll go with just pain Lizard . . . or opt for cremation . . .
To read the entire sordid story on NPR you’ll have to click here.
Dem bones, dem dry bones.
Old phony bones, named bones.
Mine ache, call THEM names.
Where on earth do you come up with these things??!! How about you opt for “Stayin Alive, Stayin Alive” I know that song is now stuck in your head too! Love, Peachy Keen Westerfield Jr.