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Bird, Roland T. (Roland Thaxter), 1899-1978

 Person

Biographical Note

Roland Thaxter Bird (1899-1978) began working with curator Dr. Barnum Brown in 1934 after discovering a new genus and species of fossil amphibian. Having no formal training, Bird found a stegocephalian specimen, which was later named Stanocephalosaurus birdi by Brown. He worked in the field as a digger, photographer, and artist and in the Fossil Preparation Lab at the AMNH. In 1938, Bird discovered several giant sauropod dinosaur tracks in the bed of the Paluxy River in central Texas [Discovered in 1938, excavated in 1940, and exhibited in 1953]. This discovery was monumental as the tracks were the first of their kind to be found. In addition to finding the tracks, Bird also excavated them and installed them in the museum.

At age 14, Bird dropped out of high school due to a respiratory condition. In the 1920s, he worked as a Florida cowboy, traveling across the United States on a motorcycle with a modified sidecar camper. After he died, his autobiography “Bones for Barnum Brown: Adventures of a Dinosaur Hunter,” was published from existing manuscripts.

Citation:
Roland T. Bird, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_T._Bird

Selected Bibliography

Bird, Roland T. Bones for Barnum Brown: Adventures of a Dinosaur Hunter. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2013.

Topics

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Department of Vertebrate Paleontology Roland T. Bird Howe Quarry Field Sketches and Notes, approximately 1934-1940

 Collection
Identifier: DR 202
Content Description

Hand drawn quarry sketches and also notes including inventory lists, box by box inventory of Howe Quarry Specimens by Roland T. Bird for field work managed by Barnum Brown at Howe Quarry outside Shell, Wyoming. Created approximately 1934-1940.

Dates: 1934 - 1940