Barnum Brown

American paleontologist (1873-1963)

Barnum Brown (February 12, 1873 – February 5, 1963),[1] often called Mr. Bones, was an American field paleontologist. He discovered the first documented remains of Tyrannosaurus rex.[2] His career that made him one of the most famous fossil hunters working in the late Victorian era and the early 20th century.

Barnum Brown
Brown in 1897
BornFebruary 12, 1872
DiedFebruary 5, 1963 (age 89)
NationalityAmerican
Known forDiscovered first documented remains of Tyrannosaurus rex
Scientific career
Fieldspaleontology
InstitutionsAmerican Museum of Natural History

He was sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). He was Henry Fairfield Osborn's man in the field. Brown worked the country, bargaining and trading for fossils. Often, he simply sent money to have fossils shipped to the AMNH.

After working a handful of years in Wyoming for AMNH in the late 1890s, Brown led an expedition to the Hell Creek Formation of Southeastern Montana. There, in 1902, he discovered and excavated the first documented remains of Tyrannosaurus rex.[3][4]

References

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  1. "PALAEOBLOG".
  2. Dingus L. & Norell M.A. 2010. Barnum Brown: the man who discovered Tyrannosaurus rex. ISBN 978-0-520-25264-6
  3. "Rocky Road: Barnum Brown".
  4. "Fossil Halls | American Museum of Natural History". Archived from the original on 2008-12-31. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
 
Brown (left) with Henry Fairfield Osborn and the leg bone of Diplodocus specimen AMNH 223