Dinosaurs Around the World · Drawing 37 of 40
Bones, Drawings and Discoveries
Fossils and Science
Bones and drawings changed ideas about the past. Megalosaurus was described in 1824. The word Dinosauria was published in 1842.
Did you know?
Mary Morland illustrated fossils studied with William Buckland.
Look together
Why can an illustration help scientists?
An idea to try
Discuss with an adult which clues this picture helps you explore.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The image evokes a modern laboratory; it does not recreate an 1824 scene. Buckland published the Megalosaurus description; Mary Morland contributed illustrations. Richard Owen proposed Dinosauria in a report published in 1842 after an 1841 presentation. These milestones do not summarize all human encounters with fossils.
Look together: Why can an illustration help scientists? Discuss with an adult which clues this picture helps you explore.
Sources and illustration notes (2)
Simplified reconstruction. Pose, unpreserved tissues and setting are interpreted. Choose your own colours; animals are not to one scale.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History: Bones, Drawings and DiscoveriesUnderstand the work behind a scientific description and separate discovery dates from ancient life.
- Natural History Museum: Bones, Drawings and DiscoveriesUnderstand the work behind a scientific description and separate discovery dates from ancient life.
Source review: 2026-10-03. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
