The American West has always been a destination to explore – by scholars, naturalists, scientists, and others. Discoveries made within the last couple of decades alone have caused explorers like paleontologists to visit Wyoming and learn more about life on earth.
On June 20, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Draper Natural History Museum hosted a Lunchtime Expedition centered around the topic of Paleontology. Titled “Bighorn Basin Paleontology: How the Largest of the Largest Dinosaurs Came to Be,” guest speaker Dr. Michael D’Emic shared data graphs and current hypotheses that attempt to solve an evolutionary mystery: Why did Sauropods (“Long-Necked Dinosaurs”) grow to tower over all other land animals? Check out his article from the September 2023 issue of Scientific American!
During the Q&A portion, Dr. D’Emic reflected on his journey toward eventually working in Paleontology, a profession commonly associated with the study of dinosaurs and fossils. However, this study can also be broadened to include the exploration of life and Earth’s geological past. This curiosity has existed in many fields, from naturalists and explorers to scholars and scientists. Notably, westward expansion in the 19th century brought on a burst of discovery and excitement within many mountain states, including Wyoming. Despite the initial craze of “collection fever” simmering over time, the lasting impact it had on wildlife, tourism, and the landscape is still evident today.
The Name of the Game… Fame!
Two names, Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark, are instantly recognizable for their famous United States expedition from 1804 to 1806. A third member, Explorer John Colter, would pave his own way in 1807 and 1808 by becoming the first “Mountain Man” to explore areas that would become Yellowstone National Park and the Teton Mountain Range.
Many mountain men, scouts, and trappers emerged in the following decades. Notable names include Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, and William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. As the Gilded Age (1870s – 1890s) brought on the desire to discover and contribute to the scientific world, scholars ventured out in droves to the mountain states. Both Henry A. Ward and Othniel Charles Marsh, professors from New York and Connecticut respectively, contacted William F. Cody due to his knowledge of the area they wanted to visit. Marsh, having been a professor of Paleontology, is infamously known for his competition against Paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in “The Bone Wars.”
Related Material
In the McCracken Research library’s book collection, here are 5 titles that dive further into the topic of exploration:
About John Colter: Gloomy Terrors and Hidden Fires: The Mystery of John Colter and Yellowstone by Ronald M. Anglin & Larry E. Morris
About Mountain Men and the Fur Trade: The American Fur trade of the far West (2 Volumes) by Hiram Martin Chittenden
About Marsh, Cope, and the Bone Wars: Bone Wars: The Excavation and Celebrity of Andrew Carnegie’s Dinosaur by Tom Rea
About Yellowstone: Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America by Megan Kate Nelson
About William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody: Buffalo Bill Cody: Western Legend by Karen Bornemann Spies