1763 in paleontology explained

Fossils

• The end of a Megalosaurus thighbone, previously misinterpreted by Robert Plot to be the remains of a war elephant brought to Great Britain by the Romans,^[1] is subject to further confusion. Richard Brookes publishes a paper naming it Scrotum humanum. Although he meant this name metaphorically to describe the bone's appearance, this idea is taken seriously by French philosopher Jean-Baptiste Robinet, who believed that nature formed fossils in mimicry of portions of the human anatomy- such as the scrotum.^[2]

Dinosaurs

Newly named dinosaurs

References

1. Web site: Robert Plot: A brief biography of this important geologists life and work . Oxford University Museum of Natural History . 4 . 14 June 2013.
2. Book: Farlow, James O.. M. K. Brett-Surmann. The Complete Dinosaur. Indiana University Press. 1999. Bloomington, Indiana. 5. 0-253-21313-4.