Collections &amp; Collectors: 28. Colonel Birch (c.1768-1829)

Torrens, Hugh S.

doi:10.55468/gc1173

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…It also records that at the time, the specimen belonged to Lt-Col. Thomas James Birch. Birch had amassed a large collection of fossils from Lyme Regis, Dorset, which he had primarily acquired from Mary Anning and her family [10,12]. This included the specimen figured by Home, which Birch acquired in 1818 ([4, p. 39], [10][11][12]).…”

Section: History Of the First Complete Ichthyosaur Skeletonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Birch had amassed a large collection of fossils from Lyme Regis, Dorset, which he had primarily acquired from Mary Anning and her family [10,12]. This included the specimen figured by Home, which Birch acquired in 1818 ([4, p. 39], [10][11][12]). In September of that year, De la Beche transported the specimen to London for Home to study [17].…”

Section: History Of the First Complete Ichthyosaur Skeletonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 1819, Birch visited the Anning's fossil shop and found them selling many of their possessions, including furniture, to pay their rent. As a result, Birch decided to sell his fossil collection and donate the proceeds to the Annings [10,12]. An auction was held on Monday 15 May 1820 at Bullock's Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, London [12].…”

Section: History Of the First Complete Ichthyosaur Skeletonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, Birch decided to sell his fossil collection and donate the proceeds to the Annings [10,12]. An auction was held on Monday 15 May 1820 at Bullock's Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, London [12]. The ichthyosaur skeleton of interest was part of the auction, listed as lot number 102, with a brief description:…”

Section: History Of the First Complete Ichthyosaur Skeletonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The specimen was the first skeleton of an extinct marine reptile in the scientific literature and the most complete ichthyosaur skeleton known at the time. Unfortunately, this historically significant specimen was almost certainly destroyed during World War II [11,12]. However, we have located two casts of the specimen in museum collections, the significance of which had not been recognized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rediscovery of two casts of the historically important ‘Proteo-saurus’, the first complete ichthyosaur skeleton

Lomax

Massare

2022

R. Soc. open sci.

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The first complete ichthyosaur skeleton was introduced to the scientific community in 1819 by Sir Everard Home, and given the name Proteosaurus , although the name was subsequently replaced by ‘ Ichthyosaurus ’. The skeleton is from Lyme Regis and was probably collected by Mary Anning as it was in the collection of Colonel Birch. The specimen ultimately ended up in the collection of the Royal College of Surgeons, London, where it was destroyed in a bombing raid during World War II. We have discovered two plaster casts of the specimen, although no record exists of casts ever being made. The casts are at the Peabody Museum, Yale University, USA and the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany. Significantly, these verify the accuracy of the published drawing of the specimen, and clarify morphologies of some of the bones. Discrepancies between the drawing and the casts are mainly in the details of the forefins and hindfins. The specimen can be assigned to Ichthyosaurus , but the species cannot be determined. This case illustrates the importance of old casts in museum collections. Additional, yet unrecognized casts of this specimen might exist in the UK or elsewhere.

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