The Unusual Diet of 18th-Century Geologist William Buckland

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 23 May 2025 16:19:56 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

The professor, wearing flowing robes and holding a skull in his hand, approached a student sitting in the front row. “What rules the world?” he asked. “I have no idea,” the terrified student muttered, to which the prof retorted: “The stomach, sir!”

Pliosaur

OSS — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 16:21:56 +0000

Pliosaurs were large, extinct marine reptiles from the Jurassic Era. During this time they were the top predators of the ocean averaging from four to fifteen metres in length. The largest pliosaur fossil found was unearthed on Spitspergen, Svalbard in 2006. This immense 150 million year old specimen is characterized by its short neck, elongated head and long, powerful jaws. It differs from the long-necked plesiosaurs which are rumoured to fit the description of the mythical Loch Ness Monster.

dinosaur

The Unusual Diet of 18th-Century Geologist William Buckland

Pliosaur