Product Description

The reaction to the fossil in 1861 was furious and immediate, and has remained so to the present day. Since its discovery the Archaeopteryx has caused more trouble than any other scientific icon. It has been used not just to support dozens of differing views on evolution but to start feuds, destroy reputations, further personal ambition and promote nationalism. Bones of Contention tells a story not just about a fossil but about the lengths to which people will go to prove themselves right. Sometimes the consequences are funny, often they are disastrous or tragic, but they are never dull. This is the first book to look not only at the life and times of Archaeopteryx but also at the chaotic scientific world into which it emerged. From Victorian bravado to modern-day media, the meaning and relevance of this humble fossil have changed continually with the times, holding up a mirror to ideals of science, and attitudes to natural history and the material world. It offers a rare insight into the way scientists can really behave in public and behind closed doors.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #572219 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
'Readable, compelling and endlessly provocative ! a brilliant picture of how scientific politics functions, how its much-trumpeted objectivity camouflages personal motivations and how readily men of principle can be drawn into shadow-play' -- Chris Morton, Sunday Herald 'Chambers deals particularly well with the human characters lurking behind the Archaeopteryx's enigmatic feathers' -- Chris Lavers, Guardian 'Wonderful tales about preening, scheming Victorian patriarchs, American adventurers, Chinese fossil forgers and a putative giant stone testicle called Scrotum humanum' -- Iain Millar, Independent on Sunday

About the Author
Paul Chambers has a PhD in Micropalaeontology from University College, London, and has worked in London's Natural History Museum. He is now a freelance writer and scientific consultant and has just finished working on the sequel to the BBC's successful 'Walking With Dinosaurs' series.

Customer Reviews

Feuding over fossils: scientific infighting.
So-called “missing links” between animal groups are of great significance because they are central to Darwin’s theory of evolution. The Archaeopteryx fossils stimulated interest in such a link between dinosaurs and birds. Interpretation of fossil evidence is however far from straightforward. In this superb book Chambers takes the reader through a history of the discovery of fossil evidence pertaining to the evolution of birds, focussing in particular on the Archaeopteryx specimens which are the most contentious of all. The book describes not just the fossils, the circumstances in which they were found, and their relevance to the bird evolution debate, but also the extraordinary lengths to which scientists would go to acquire the fossils for themselves and use them to promote their own heavily biased views of evolution. Chambers does an excellent job of bringing to life the heated debates and cantankerous actions of successive generations of palaeontologists from the mid 19th century (when the first Archaeopteryx was found) until the present day. The book is as much about the stubborn and prejudiced actions of these men, offering fascinating insight into so-called scientific method, as about the progress in understanding bird evolution. It is a smooth and easy read, purposefully free of jargon. If you have an interest in natural history, and especially dinosaurs, and like a good story of intrigue and scandal, then get yourself a copy.

a jolly good read
This book combines the history of thought and science with up to date debate.
As a very well written account putting the importance of Archaeopteryx into context this book is nothing short of a galloping good read. I would therefore recommend this book (also available in paperback) to anyone, but of course to all of you with an interest in fossils.