Paleontology: The Missing Ammosaurus

In the fall of 1884, when he heard that dinosaur remains had been discovered in a stone quarry near Manchester, Conn., Yale University's Othniel Charles Marsh, a pioneering paleontologist, rushed off to see for himself. Sure enough, there were the fossilized bones of a small (7-ft.-long) creature that was later identified as Ammosaurus major, an inhabitant of the area 200 million years ago. But Marsh was already too late. The dinosaur's front half had already been carted away; the brownstone in which the fossils were encased had been cut into blocks and...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!