Voting Station

Othniel Charles Marsh

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Scientist

The Resume

    (October 29, 1831-March 18, 1899)
    Born in Lockport, New York
    Paleontologist
    Discovered and named over 500 extinct animal species
    President of the National Academy of Science (1883-95)

Why he might be annoying:

    He had a long-running feud with fellow paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope, known as 'the Bone Wars.'
    The rush to beat Cope to print sometimes resulted in sloppy work.
    In his most famous error, he put the wrong head on Brontosaurus.
    He was frequently late in paying the workers who helped dig up his finds.
    He would reportedly destroy smaller or damaged fossils to keep them from falling into Cope's hands.
    On one occasion, his and Cope's teams fought by throwing stones at each other.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He convinced his uncle, banker George Peabody, to create the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale.
    Before the 'Bone Wars,' there were nine known dinosaur species in North America. Marsh would discover 80 new ones.
    At their peak, his expeditions were shipping a ton of fossils to Yale every week.
    He was one of the first paleontologists to suggest that birds evolved from dinosaurs.
    After a dig in the Black Hills, he kept a promise to Red Cloud and lobbied the Bureau of Indian Affairs for improved treatment of the Sioux.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 13 Votes: 76.92% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 27 Votes: 55.56% Annoying