DINOSAUR IN A HAYSTACK
DINOSLf\UF, IN A
HAYSTACK Reflections in Natural History
Stephen Jay Gould
T~e
Belln"" Pre...
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DINOSAUR IN A HAYSTACK
DINOSLf\UF, IN A
HAYSTACK Reflections in Natural History
Stephen Jay Gould
T~e
Belln"" Press of 11.".rd Uni\ersih Press Cambridge. \I O\SSJchnselts
London. England 2011
Copyri£;ht
1995 by Stephen Jay COldd /\11 ri£;hts resened Printed in the United States oL\merica
Published by arr~lll£;elllent with 1brmony Books, an imprint of 'I 'he Crown Pllhlisllill£; (;Wllp, a division of RalHIOIll llollse, hlC. { but o lh ~r\\'i ~c without consequ cncc.) ~:1caJl w hilc , duty-hound to honor a cOlllmitment made before I heard about th e eelipse. I \I'ent sOllth to :'\ew York City, tmlmel less solar coverage by "Ill already compromiscdlullar Sh'H.low. Vlml\' things keep us go ing in tlris I'ale of tears-a bal".'s smile, Bach's B-lllillOr ".'Iass, a decent bagel. E\"cr~ " once in a while, as if to grant li S the con:'age to go on, th e pOI,"ers that be turn one of life's little disasters into a bit of im or an episode of instruction, Tire Lord of th e (Partial ) Ring mllst h",'e becn smilin g on me this \b" 10, for he bronglrt m e in de ['as -
tronol1lie (Consideratiolls 011 th e System orthe \Vorld. und ol1lhe Fliture Progres,'j or1htrono/lI.r ). 'l'lli s fC'ln;lrkabl c c hapter also fcahlres a corred
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llS'poth es is that "n eb ulae" (reso ls-ed ill the best te lescopes of th e time as diffuse clouds) arc aehwll, di stant galaxi es of slars (\\itlr the \-lilky \Va )" as an arm or ollr 0\\"11 galax~'), alld tlwt the lllli \'crse is th crefore e,'ell ,'aster than \\'e had e,er concei,'C(1. In tlris scction . Laplace C\"C Il rccoglli :t.c.:s that some stars llla~ ' he so dense that grm'it1l 8 (all orh placed in the cc nter of the lln i,"c rsc). I ,esl ; lIl~"OlH': lIlisconstrue hi s intent. Bedc then e'l'lieith stated that he meallt a three-ciimclIsiOld sph erc, not a tlat plate, \ lorcOIe r. he addcd, 0111' plallclan' sph ere """ he eOllSidereci as perfect becausc C\"C ll th e highest 1lloll!ltaills proclu ec no 1llore Ih ,l 11 ,Ill illipereeptible ripple Oil a globe of slleh great diamc\cr. I a!.so Ollec learned that 1I11"t oth er ecclesiastical scholars of the benighted Dark Ages lwei refilled Aristotlc 's notioll of a spherica l earth. alld had depided O\lf hom e as a nat, or at IIl0st a gellth clln ed, plate, Didn't li e all hear th e legcnd of Coin millis at Salamanca, tfling to eonlinee the Icafll ed cieries that he II'(Hdd reach the Indi es and llot fall off the ultimate edge' The human mind seems to work as;.l catcgo ri /"ing (k',"icc (perhaps CH:n, as 1l1 of bees and \\'aSllS \\ithin these logs (although fossils oftlie insects themSciH.'S haH.' lIol yet bee]) disco\"{:rccl~scarccl~' surprisillg, gi\'Clllhc dif-
ficulties of prcscT\'atioll ill this CllyirOlll1lcnt). The hee,,' 1lests, for e,ample, arc e""I\ated in shallO\\ holl(J\\s reached through knotholes,
E
whatchall1acal1its \,ith sllch fl11111~" ll
011
scales of
hundreds of thouS,lllcls to milliolls of ~-ears is
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cOllsequencc I can imagine, such a cultural "softening" of natural slight-h- hoost our gelletic \·sils in uJl perlll ost C reta ceolls rocks, W o rkin g ill th e Il ell C reek Formation ill ,\ Iontan;.} allel ;\!orth Dako ta , th c~" studicd eac h ell\-irOlllllcnt separate h-, \I' ith best e\'iden ee ,m,ilable from strealll c halln els a nd Ooo dpl ains, ' I 'h e\' di \'idecl the e nti re sec tioll into thirds, \l ith the nppe r third extendillg right to the impa ct bOllndan, and as ked \I,hel'her a stead\ decl ine: occurr
Ullllllmbered tribes of Victoriall ladi es seem to !J",·c \\Tittct) \\'ithollt e\'cr doin g.1Il iota of research. Ladi es werc next ill line to ele rg\J ncn as relen tl ess prodtl eers of popular nat",al hi st"", books, ahle at th e fIlstl e of a publisher's contract to laullch illto e ndless sto rics about, ,faithftll clogs \\ ho rese llcd the ir masters from c\'crsthing tlnclc r the sun , a llci ele phan ts Who N e\ er Forgot. \Iost of t'leir effusions \\'ere clirectcd to ot hcr ladies, or to childre n (it is ofte n hard to tell \\'hich ) and c ha racterized b) gll1tillOll ~ se lltilll cllta lit~· .. . and all abilit~· to drop into ,'ersc:; at the least pros'()catioll . I do not disputc Barbe r's a;;e5\lI1 e llt , btltl bclic\ e th at \\'e II1llSt ta ke this gCllre morc seriollsly for many reasons, rangi ng frolll the scholarly (for insights pros'ided into th e hi sto" of \\'{) men 's soc ial and intellectllir! strllggles ) to the ethicli (res pec td uc to lI1argi nali zed people who bridle a nd suffe r tinder imposcd limitati ons, but \dlO, C\Tn o n pain of illtls, trating a stcr(;'ot:v c, 111l1.\t filld SO lll C c\"press ioll for crcati\·c illlPulscsblacks \\ho prcferred opera btlt entercd the onk a\'a ilabl c world of popular mllsic; Jews like n1\ grand fa the r \d lO \\is hed to be artis ts but endeclnp as sk ill ed ga rment makers). I am hap p\ to notc that se\'cral seho lr~ hlo\l~h t ll ll' to HlHl..c al ld J 11 ,1(11\)(..' \\ ()Jakrflll pri l' lk!.;t, of rl" ldil l!.; t ll i ~ t; rt" ll :lIld illflm'n li ,il dO l'lUl wn l for p it-a· ' :Ill' .• 11\(1 II ilb 'IH lI C 1I I,lturill o f jtld!,(luc n l . r ; ~thl' l lh .1I1 i ll III ~' rl\ ~ l, o f ,\ ~'()l ll ' l' ,\lid for ,\ W;ld c ,II tOI> \'(lIllH!, .t!I :11!,(', I'or Ihi, prh ile!;\' I .1\ 111110-1 jl ro \~H lIldl~ 1!,rdll'fll l, If I d illn' t \1 rilt'lhe,l' Illo llth l~ l"'~;1 ~ ", _ Bml..t: \IP llld pr(Oll:)hh h, IH' \ t. l\cd Il ll 1111 .,h ell lin lil ti ll' !la\ I diu ]
HJ7
n l \. ()S \l ' lt
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ta lily. to Ih is disti netioll : "The subl illle " "ah ,,,"s dll"ells ou grea t objects. and terrihle; [hcau"i on slllall oncs. and pleasing " " . The bca uh of wOlllen is cOllsidcrabl y O\\"ing to their wcakness or delicacy. and is cn.'n enhall ccd hI' th e ir lilllidih . a '1uali""of milld analogo u; 10 it." I suhmit thai IIC call1lot grasp th c eSSCllCC of Roherts's hook. a lld thc genre she rcpresellt s. ulltil \\ ·c ;I ibly fcel illore <J1nbis'l!cnt abont th e resnlt - Illarn:lillg and cllrsi ng, laughing and moalling. Oue G ill hardl y pay grei.lkr tribute to Ih c importance uf 'Ill e\·el1t than to proclaim th e imposs ibilil\· of neutralil\· before it. john HaolJnond (a o entrepreneur with more than 'I tou ch of e\·il in the book, but kindh and merely O\erenthusiasti e in the fi lm ) has built the ultimate th eme park (for greech profit s ill the book , for mi ,ed but largd y hOllora ble moti,'es in the film ) b~ ' rcmak ing Ii"illg dillosa tl r~ out of 0 1\,\ "'tract cd from dinosaur blood presen ed ,,·ithin mosquitoes and other bitillg inscc.:ls entombed ill foss il \·'Icsozoie !lrp ri ~l', l , hut l ,Ilh {:r OIU ill H '( 11 if b ih ;11 )(1 p I LTC~ o f I;l'IUli llC I l i\lIJ~,ll \l 1);\ \ 'Irl' IClel f. bll t ;1i"1 tlit; ll lll llhcr" I,,(",l t joll " ,11 1(1.ldio ll of 1Il,l tcrn,d ~ t "II(" ' IICt"\k- d If) cOil'trnd till" ri t;llI l"Il' InlllIlI ("ll t iur dt."lllulc d III
Ic1Upllll"llt"
227
D I 'os. u
It l '
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11 .\YS 'I\C I..:
and far surpa",ed, lJnfortlll",teir, th e implausibility of rcconstructing dillosa tlrs by thl' ic Pen-I? phenomenon,
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ahout clino-
llIallia ill gCllcr,-d. Natllml histor~- is, <Jlld has
mllSClllll
of
natmal hi sto,,' - still parlh on I'iew in Ihe bll ildi ng cOllStnrctcd to hOllse
I), ,( ):.;
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lIt' lI'itil those IIbo mc illenta Ih- defect il'e - ah, here
l)I ' ( l'i\ t : 1{
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In H):;;K Fisher \\'as hrought into discussion of the e\"idcnce in the United States ill c01lneetioll \\"itll Icgal suits c\IK'ctecI to bc brought to trial ,lgaillst tohacco 1l1,111l1facturcrs for persollal dalll-
age camecllJ\ their prodllcls.l<arh ill 19(,0 he lisited the Ullitecl
D I'dJS .U ' R 1"\ .\ 11\ )s"I".\c,",
Sblles at th e ill\·itatioll of a legal fi fill rcprcs(, 111 i Il~ all :\lII l' fi C~lII 101>"lc c hi e f opcra tio nal pa mr;raph , I quoted the \Hnds abm'c, hut ill~c r ted ellipses to s i gni f~' all o miss ion ,-hat r om\" "'ish to restore. I I~ i c hlll tinguishahlc from us. Interesting fallacies arc often subtle, often based upon hidden assllmptions, unstated and probably unconsciously held. ;\s
11_\);"'-J \(:1\:
The steepy path her plighted s\\"ain pursues, ,\nd tracks her light step o'er the illlprinted de\ls; Deli~hted H~"lIlcn ~i\"es his torch to blaze, \\"'inds round the crags, ;!lldlights the lllaZ~" \\"ays; Sheds o'er their sccret \"()\\s his influence chaste, ,\nd clecks \yith roses the admiring \\aste. Heroic eOllplds, \lith their stilted illiages ,llld forced r1l\lllCS ill iaillhic pelltcllllctcr, telldl0 attract ridicule these da~"s (though 1, as ;. Il
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Colbert , .scli , and S . .\ 1. Ihra hill l Shah H)H, . O ri gill of " 'hales ill cpicolltille:lJt;11 H..'IIlIl<Jllt .'.e;Js. Scic.mcc 220: 4 0 -:;- (1. Ci ll~cri c h .
P. D .. B. II. S11lith , ,l!lel K I .. Simons H)90 . Hilld lill1bs of I '~ oe:cnc Belsi/o.'wllms: c,"ielL-lice of feet in ,,·h'IIt;S. Science 2..fl) : IS4-'7.
C illgcri ch. P. D., S. \ I. Ra J,a. j\ -J. .-\rif. i\ I. .\11 \\"
(/l1cll':,ilics. I ,olJ(loll: \lal'lllilhlli ilnd Co.
Jall ze n .
n. JeJ7 /'
lc, Lord, 2.)l)
B"II.i\, :- . Lnt\·, .+::;-:hIm' \\-h <Jll(l dolphin_,», ")fl2,
ro
Chambcrlain, Joli1\, :; 12 Chamberlain. \'alcric, 40") Ch,lUccr, (:eoffrc\-, 44() Chckhm, _\llltH), ')4, CIll'llll1\o, :; 11
cllilclrCl1 Burbank OJl, ~92-l)4 Fi~hcr 011, ")():; chil1lp1l1, Laplace\, 26-29 Dc \' ric~, IlllgO, 2Y 1-92 ell' \'ric~. \\'" V;), ~)-f Dil()fJh()sal1nL~' (dillo~am), 22611 DimetrodolJ (dinosaur'l. ~::;6
471
!':\[!i1l£;, rtllph, -;-; --;S
dill(jsal1r~
C()I1I111Crciali/.atioll ill 111l1\Cll1l1\ of. !.i)-')() Crcta('cotl~-'['ertian-
nl;l\S oJinctioll
of,IS(l-SK Cl1rrellt p()pl1larit~- of. 222-2) n\illctioll of, 111-12 a~ llldlphor, 50 IIII\SClIlli di~plan of, 2:;2 popular portrayab o( 222 portrayed il] Jura.~sic Park, 225-1) see al.m paic()lltolof;: Di(j,s;ell(c~, 144 [)i()1l\'si\\~ I
frolll Call1hri,lll period, 9";', IOlJ-I::;, II ~ 1)]\;\ fro1ll, 22fi-2-: hUlllan, 11k--n ()fill~Ccls, 9()-]O(), 10::; lack of ill!cnlledi,m fortll~ ill, 16() Ic,1\ 'CS, -+0-+-1 I ' of lllil1lllllah, al.\1llcric:lll \ltl~l'lllll of :\',ll1nallldon-,2-+9-::;9 1ll,I~'> ntillcliom 'pla\'~ of, 2::;2 OfPl'llt,lsirlllll\\,II";,-19 Pllllctuatcd ell'Iilihrillll1 thcon'
,\/agrwfio (tree), 40::;, 406 _\/ogllofiu /utohellsis (tree), 4()6 \/dgIlO/iU /IJacroIJh!-1la (trec), 40.\lai~trc, joscph dc, 2GS Ill i:;:;-)(),1:;2,442 ;:;2,
'3:;4
"
on IlIllll;Jn c\-oilltioll, 142-44 Pytha,s;oras, I H
lXlf
OIl,
re\-er~ecl
Smwm, jlliian, \-:--6 ~\"napsid opcllillf::;, 2:;6
Lillll;l~m\. 419-~4 of planh, I ,illll,lcm 's, -+ ')()-1:; 'l'chaikO\'sb-, PnJtr !lich. 264 Teleosti (higher hony fi.\hcsL 2)2 'l'cI1!1\-\On, Lord .\Ifrecl, \),1 :;1,1:;4 In \Iernoriarn I)\', (d--::-:; tercdm I\\'ood-horin,; CI