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Richard Owen
1804-1892;

Richard Owen was born on 20 July 1804 in Lancaster.  He trained with a local surgeon and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, completing his medical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. He was appointed assistant curator of the Hunterian Collection at the College of Surgeons, London, in 1824. Owen was a significant figure in the scientific establishment and held several important posts.  His interest in zoology and dissection led him to write a number of important papers on the subjects.  He became superintendent of the natural history collections at the British Museum in 1856, a post which he held until his retirement in 1883.As a scientist and medical practitioner, Owen was a prolific thinker and developed a range of ideas and described many species of living and fossil animals.  His approach to science was tempered by his religious beliefs and a desire to fit everything into the existing scientific framework.  One significant advance in his written work was that he submitted copies of his papers to a great number of libraries and learning centres throughout Britain.

Owen R., 1840, Description of the remains of a bird, tortoise, and lacertian saurian from the Chalk. Proc. geol. Soc. Lond. 3, 298–300.

Owen R., 1840, Report on British fossil reptiles. Part 1. Rep. Br. Ass. Advmnt Sci.

Owen R., 1840–1845, Odontography. London. vol. 1, p. 273.

Owen R., 1842, Description of the remains of a bird, tortoise, and lizard from the Chalk of Kent. Trans. geol. Soc. Lond. Ser. 2, 6, 411–413 & pl. 39.

Owen R., 1842, Report on British fossil reptiles. Part 2. Rep. Br. Ass. Advmnt Sci. (1841), pp. 94–103, 156; Edinb. new phil. J. 33, 65–88.

Owen R., 1846, A history of British fossil mammals and birds. London: J. van Voorst. pp. 545–558

Owen R., 1846, On the supposed fossil bones of birds from the Wealden. Quart.J.Geological Society. London. 2, pp 96–102.

Owen R., 1848, On the archetype and homologies of the vertebrate skeleton. London.

Owen R., 1849–1884, A history of British fossil reptiles (4 vols). London: Cassell. (Reprint of Pal. Soc. Monographs)

Owen R., 1851, Monograph on the fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous Formations. Part I. Chelonia, Lacertilia, etc. The Palaeontographical Society, London. pp. 80–104 & pls 27, 28, 30–32.

Owen R. and Bowerbank J. S., 1852, On a new species of pterodactyle (Pt. compressirostris, Owen) from the Chalk. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. 10, 372–391.

Owen R., 1852, On a new species of pterodactyle (Pt. compressirostris, Owen) from the Chalk, with some remarks on the nomenclature of the previously described species. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. pp. 21–34 & pl. 5.

Owen R., 1859, Monograph on the fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous Formations. Supplement No. 1. Pterosauria (Pterodactylus). The Palaeontographical Society, London. volume for 1857; pp. 1–19 & pls 1–4.

Owen R., 1859, On a new genus (Dimorphodon) of pterodactyle, with remarks on the geological distribution of flying reptiles.Rep. Br. Ass. Advmnt Sci.28 (1858), 97–103.

Owen R., 1859, On remains of new and gigantic species of Pterodactyle (Pter. fittoni and Pter. sedgwickii) from the Upper Greensand near Cambridge.Rep. Br. Ass. Advmnt Sci. 28 (1858), 98–103.

Owen R., 1859, On the vertebral characteristics of the order Pterosauria (Owen) as exemplified in the genera Pterodactylus (Cuvier) and Dimorphodon (Owen). Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 9, 703–704.

Owen R., 1860, On a new genus of pterosauria with remarks on the geological distribution. Edinb. New. philos. J. 9, 151–153.

Owen R., 1860, On the orders of fossil reptilia and their distribution in time. Edinb. New phil. J. 9, 294–306.

Owen R., 1860, On the orders of fossil reptilia and their distribution in time. Rep. Br. Ass. Advmnt Sci. 29 (1859), 153–166.

Owen R., 1860, On the vertebral column of the order Pterosauria, as exemplified in the genera Pterodactylus (Cuvier) and Dimorphodon (Owen). Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 149, 161–169 & pl. 10.

Owen R., 1861, Monograph on the fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous Formations. Supplement III. Pterosauria (Pterodactylus). The Palaeontographical Society, London. (volume for 1858; pp. 1–19 & pls 1–4)

Owen R., 1861, Palaeontology or a systematic summary of extinct animals and their geological remains. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black. pp. 270–275; 2nd edn 1861.

Owen R; 1865, A monograph on the fossil reptilia of the Liassic formations, Palaeontographical Society, London. 17, p1-40

Owen R., 1870, A Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Liassic Formations. I. Part III. Plesiosaurs, Dimorphodon, and Ichthyosaurs. The Palaeontographical Society, London. pp. 41–81 & pls 17–20.

Owen R., 1870, Monograph on the Order Pterosauria, Palaeontographical Society, London

Owen R., 1874, A Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Mesozoic Formations. 1. Pterosauria. The Palaeontographical Society, London. pp. 1–14 & pls 1–2.

Owen, R., 1874, Supplement (No.1) to the Monograph of the fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous formations, Palaeontographical Society, London.

Owen R., 1874, Supplement (No.3) to the Monograph on the fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous formations, Palaeontographical Society, London

Owen R., 1881, A monograph of the fossil Reptilia of the Liassic formations. Part III. Palaeontographical Society, London.  35, p. 83-134.