Paper, 'On the classification of the fossil animals commonly named Dinosauria' by Harry Govier Seeley

Description

Seeley writes: 'Three classifications of the Dinosauria have been proposed, which differ from each other in the principles on which their authors proposed to make the divisions. First in time is Professor Cope’s classification (‘Philadelphia, Acad. Nat. Sci. Proc.,’ November 13th, 1866, and December 31st, 1867; ‘Amer. Phil. Soc. Trans.,’ vol. 14, Part I). He relied upon the characters of the tarsus and the ilium; and on their varied condition divided Dinosaurs into three orders named Orthopoda, Goniopoda, and Symphopoda. In the Orthopoda, the generic types associated are Scelidosaurus, Hylæosaurus, Iguanodon, and Hadrosaurus. And in this group the relations of the tibia and fibula are compared to those of modern Lizards, the proximal tarsals being distinct from each other and from the tibia. The ilium has a narrowed anterior prolongation.'

Annotations in pencil and ink. Includes four figures of bones.

Subject: Palaeontology

Received 31 August 1887. Read 24 November 1887.

A version of this paper was published in volume 43 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the classification of the fossil animals commonly named Dinosauria'.

Reference number

PP/11/7

Earliest possible date

1887

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

14 pages

Format

Manuscript
Drawing