3b. The Iguanodon "Horn," 1840
The Iguanodon "horn" has become quite notorious is the history of dinosaur discovery. It was found by Gideon Mantell's wife, and its resemblance to a rhinoceros horn core prompted most restorers, including Mantell himself, to place the horn on the nose of the Iguanodon. Since its namesake, the iguana, had such a nose horn, it seemed a reasonable enough assumption. But the discovery of the Bernissart iguanodons in 1878 (see item 17) would show that the horn was actually a thumb spike, rather than a nasal armament.
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Source:Mantell, Gideon. The Wonders of Geology. 4th ed. London, 1840. This work is part of the Library collections, but it is NOT on exhibit. |
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Please direct comments to ashwortb@lindahall.org |
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