Plymouth has long laid claim to be the venue for the naming of dinosaurs. Join us as we try to separate fact from fiction in the city’s assertion that it be credited as the birthplace of these ‘terrible reptiles’. Discover more about the man who coined the term ‘dinosauria’, Sir Richard Owen, his campaign which led to the formation of the Natural History Museum and his friction and rivalry with Charles Darwin. The lecture will be given by Owen Ryles, Chief Executive of the Plymouth Athenaeum. Owen is a Fellow of the Linnean Society and the Zoological Society. His previous talks include Education, enlightenment and entertainment: Plymouth Mechanics’ Institute 1825-1899 , Walking through the storm: William Snow Harris v The Admiralty, Bitten by Barnacles: The Life of Charles Spence Bate and Charles Hamilton Smith: Writer, Illustrator, Solider, Spy. We will be in Room 115 in Rolle Building, James Street at the University of Plymouth. We will arrange for the doors to be open or someone there to let you in between 19:00 and 19:30 (they are usually locked after 18:00). We will also have someone there to let in any late comers, but please don’t delay too long! If you are not sure where it is, it’s just south of the James Street Vaults – see the campus map here: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/about-us/visit/our-campuses. This event is free and all are welcome, although a voluntary contribution (cash or card) to help cover speakers’ costs would be appreciated. Various ornithopod dinosaurs / Drawing by John Conway / CC BY-SA 3.0

Description supplied by the event organiser.