In the mid-1600s, the first dinosaur was discovered; it was named Megalosaurus. However, it was thought to be just an upscaled version of one of today's animals. The creature was reconstructed as a giant iguana.

In 1796, anatomist Georges Cuvier proved that animals could go extinct by comparing the bones of mastodons to modern elephants. This opened the flood gates - what other animals could have existed? One species of extinct reptiles captured everyone's imagination. Dragons were not fantasy; they were very much real. In 1842, Richard Owen coined the term dinosaur.

By the 1870s, paleontology became a legit science, and many would go fossil hunting - some for fame, some for scientific achievement, and others for... very personal reasons.