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Common collared lizard

2025-10-19T11:20:44Z

2601:6C1:903:1AA0:B0F5:31AA:E681:C84F: /* Subspecies */

{{Short description|Species of reptile}}
{{Redirect|Mountain Boomer|the aplodontiid rodent also known by that name|Mountain Beaver}}
{{speciesbox
| name = Common collared lizard
| image = Common Collared Lizard.jpg
| image_caption = A male common collared lizard in [[Taum Sauk Mountain State Park]], Missouri
| image2 = Crotaphytus collaris-female basking.jpg
| image2_caption = Female in [[Petrified Forest National Park]], [[Arizona]]
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Hammerson, G.A. |author-link=species:Geoffrey A. Hammerson |author2=Lavin, P. |author2-link=species:Pablo Antonio Lavin-Murcio |author3=Vazquez Díaz, J. |author3-link=species:Joel Vázquez-Díaz |author4=Quintero Díaz, G. |author4-link=species:Gustavo Ernesto Quintero-Díaz |author5=Gadsden, H. |author5-link=species:Hector Gadsden-Esparza |date=2007 |title=''Crotaphytus collaris'' |volume=2007 |article-number=e.T64007A12734318 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64007A12734318.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Crotaphytus
| species = collaris
| authority = ([[Thomas Say|Say]], 1823)
| synonyms = *''Agama collaris'' Say, 1823
*''Crotaphytus collaris'' — [[John Edwards Holbrook|Holbrook]], 1842
*''Leiosaurus collaris'' — [[Auguste Duméril|A.H.A. Duméril]], 1856
*''Crotaphytus collaris'' — [[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1885
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=RDB>{{cite web
|title = ''Crotaphytus collaris'' (Say, 1823)
|work = The Reptile Database
|url = http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Crotaphytus&species=collaris&search_param=%28%28taxon%3D%27Crotaphytidae%27%29%29
|access-date = 2012-02-16
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141008064859/http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Crotaphytus&species=collaris&search_param=%28%28taxon%3D%27Crotaphytidae%27%29%29
|archive-date = 2014-10-08
|url-status = live
}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Collared Lizard near Hatch Point.jpg|thumb|A male common collared lizard (''Crotaphytus collaris'') near Hatch Point, Utah]]
The '''common collared lizard''' ('''''Crotaphytus collaris'''''), also [[Common name|commonly]] called '''eastern collared lizard''',<ref name=":0">[[Robert C. Stebbins|Stebbins RC]] (2003). ''A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition''. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. xiii + 533 pp. {{ISBN|0-395-98272-3}}. (''Crotaphytus collaris'', pp. 271-272 + Plate 27 + Map 85).</ref> '''Oklahoma collared lizard''', '''mountain boomer''', '''yellow-headed collared lizard''', and '''collared lizard''', is a North American [[species]] of [[lizard]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Crotaphytidae]]. The common name "collared lizard" comes from the lizard's distinct coloration, which includes bands of black around the neck and shoulders that look like a collar. Males can be very colorful, with blue green bodies, yellow stripes on the tail and back, and yellow orange throats. There are five recognized [[subspecies]].
[[File:Black-spotted_collared_lizard.jpg|thumb|Black-spotted collared lizard (''Crotaphytus collaris melanomaculatus'') at [[Phoenix Zoo]].]]

== Etymology ==
The [[Subspecies|subspecific name]], ''baileyi'', is in honor of American mammalogist [[Vernon Orlando Bailey]].<ref>[[species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]]; [[species:Michael Watkins|Watkins, Michael]]; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Crotaphytus collaris baileyi'', p. 14).</ref>

==Subspecies==
Five subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the [[nominotypical subspecies]].<ref name="RDB" />
*''Crotaphytus collaris auriceps'' {{small|[[Henry Sheldon Fitch|Fitch]] & [[Wilmer W. Tanner|W. Tanner]], 1951}} – yellow-headed collared lizard
*''Crotaphytus collaris baileyi'' {{small|[[Leonhard Stejneger|Stejneger]], 1890}} – western collared lizard
*''Crotaphytus collaris collaris'' {{small|([[Thomas Say|Say]], 1823)}} – eastern collared lizard
*''Crotaphytus collaris fuscus'' {{small|[[species:William Ingram|W. Ingram]] & W. Tanner, 1971}} – Chihuahuan collared lizard
*''Crotaphytus collaris melanomaculatus'' {{small|[[species:Ralph William Axtell|Axtell]] & [[Robert G. Webb|Webb]], 1995}} – black-spotted collared lizard

''[[Nota bene]]'': A [[Trinomen|trinomial authority]] in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a [[genus]] other than ''Crotaphytus''.

==Description==
''C. collaris'' can grow up to {{convert|8|-|15|in|cm|abbr=on}} in total length (including the tail), with a large head and powerful jaws. Males have a blue-green body with a light brown head. Females have a light brown head and body.
''C. collaris'' exhibit a wide range of physical characteristics, particularly in coloration and spotting patterns, and this phenotypic variability may be attributed to a combination of differences in population, social organizations, or habitat.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Baird|first1=Troy A.|last2=Fox|first2=Stanely [sic] F.|last3=McCoy|first3=J. Kelly|date=September 1997|title=Population differences in the roles of size and coloration in intra– and intersexual selection in the collared lizard, Crotaphytus collaris: influence of habitat and social organization|url=https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/8/5/506/200829|journal=Behavioral Ecology|volume=8|issue=5|pages=506–517|doi=10.1093/beheco/8.5.506|doi-access=free}}</ref> They are a [[Sexual dimorphism#Ornamentation and coloration|sexually dichromatic]] lizard species with the adult males being more vivid and colorful than the females. Male dorsal and head color tend to range from green to tan and yellow to orange respectively, while females, overall, possess more muted body pigmentations, varying from brown to gray. However, when reproductively active during breeding seasons, females undergo a rapid color change, in which faint orange spots on their heads increase in brightness; this orange spotting reaches a maximum during egg maturation but gradually fades again after expulsion from the female's oviduct as she lays her eggs.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ferguson|first=Gary W.|date=1976|title=Color Change and Reproductive Cycling in Female Collared Lizards (''Crotaphytus collaris'')|journal=Copeia|volume=1976|issue=3|pages=491–494|doi=10.2307/1443364|issn=0045-8511|jstor=1443364}}</ref> Both males and females have two distinct black bands around their neck, providing additional context to their name, the common collared lizards.

Similar to adult females, juveniles also exhibit dull body colorations compared to adult males, but a key distinction is that the young have pronounced, dark brown markings that eventually fade as they grow and mature.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Fitch|first1=Henry S.|author-link=Henry Sheldon Fitch|last2=Tanner|first2=Wilmer W.|author2-link=Wilmer W. Tanner|date=1951|title=Remarks concerning the Systematics of the Collared Lizard, (''Crotaphytus collaris''), with a Description of a New Subspecies|journal=Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science|volume=54|issue=4|pages=548–559|doi=10.2307/3626220|issn=0022-8443|jstor=3626220}}</ref> Consequently, juvenile collared lizards lose this sharp cross-band pattern, and their features drastically change to resemble those of either adult males or females.<ref name=":1" />

Moderate in size, ''C. collaris'' have disproportionately large heads and long hind limbs. It can reach a length of 14 inches, including the tail, with males being larger than females. Hence, they are sexually dimorphic, and adult males exhibit larger and more muscular heads than females, which tend to vary in size. Used as a weapon during male combat, the head dimensions play a key role in determining dominance, territoriality, fitness, as well as mating success. In general, bigger heads are associated with greater jaw strength and thus, bite force.

== Bipedal locomotion ==
''C. collaris'' are able to run on their hind legs and can sprint at speeds of up to 24 kilometers per hour. This behavior is usually observed when trying to escape predators.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Husak|first1=Jerry F.|last2=Fox|first2=Stanley F.|date=2006|title=Field Use of Maximal Sprint Speed by Collared Lizards (''Crotaphytus collaris''): Compensation and Sexual Selection|journal=Evolution|volume=60|issue=9|pages=1888–1895|doi=10.1111/j.0014-3820.2006.tb00532.x|jstor=4095428|pmid=17089973|s2cid=2024684|issn=0014-3820|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Like many other lizards, including the [[frilled lizard]] and [[Basiliscus basiliscus|basilisk]], the collared lizard can run on its hind legs, and is a relatively fast sprinter. Record speeds have been around {{convert|16|mph|km/h}}, much slower than the world record for lizards ({{convert|21.5|mph|km/h|abbr=on|disp=or}}) attained by the larger-bodied [[Costa Rica]]n [[Ctenosaura|spiny-tailed iguana]], ''[[Ctenosaura similis]]''.

==Geographic range and habitat==
''C. collaris'' is chiefly found in dry, open regions of [[Mexico]] and the south-central [[United States]] including [[Arizona]], [[Arkansas]], [[Colorado]], [[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], [[New Mexico]], [[Oklahoma]], and [[Texas]]. The full extent of its [[habitat]] in the United States ranges from the [[Ozark Mountains]] to Western Arizona.

''C. collaris'' is distributed across the [[Southwestern United States]] and extend to Northern Mexico as well. Individuals occupy a range of different habitats from rocky desert landscapes to grasslands, but they often prefer to inhabit mountainous regions with high environmental temperatures for optimal thermoregulation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Angert|first1=Amy L.|last2=Hutchison|first2=Delbert|last3=Glossip|first3=Danielle|last4=Losos|first4=Jonathan B.|date=2002|title=Microhabitat Use and Thermal Biology of the Collared Lizard (''Crotaphytus collaris collaris'') and the Fence Lizard (''Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus'') in Missouri Glades|journal=Journal of Herpetology|volume=36|issue=1|pages=23–29|doi=10.2307/1565797|jstor=1565797|issn=0022-1511}}</ref> In addition, the hilly topography allows these keen and highly alert lizards to stay hidden between rocks, despite their flamboyant features, and look out for potential predators or territory intruders from the top of elevated platforms.

== Diet ==
As obligate carnivores, they consume insects and small vertebrates as their main diet.<ref name=":6" /> While they may occasionally ingest plant materials, it is not preferred. They feed on a variety of large insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, moths, beetles, and cicadas, along with other small lizards and even snakes.<ref name=":2" /> As plants do not provide enough nutrients for constant body weight maintenance, ''C. collaris'' cannot survive solely on an [[Herbivore|herbivorous]] diet.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=Ruppert|first=Ron M.|date=1980-01-01|title=Comparative assimilation efficiencies of two lizards|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300962980800284|journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology|language=en|volume=67|issue=3|pages=491–496|doi=10.1016/S0300-9629(80)80028-4|issn=0300-9629|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Their stomachs are too small to accommodate the amount of flowers, shrubs, herbs, etc. that would be needed to maintain a constant body weight.<ref name=":6" /> Thus, they are considered obligate carnivores, requiring nutrients from [[Arthropod|arthropods]] or other small reptiles (such as other lizards).<ref name="animaldiversity.org">{{cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Crotaphytus_collaris/ | title=Crotaphytus collaris (Collared Lizard) - Animal Diversity Web | website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref>

Diet can also vary depending on age, sex, as well as seasonal changes. In the case of younger lizards, they consume the same kinds of foods, specifically insect species, that adults do, but since younger lizards and adults differ in body size and weight, the amount of food intake tends to vary.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Best|first1=Troy L.|last2=Pfaffenberger|first2=Gary S.|date=1987|title=Age and Sexual Variation in the Diet of Collared Lizards (''Crotaphytus collaris'')|journal=The Southwestern Naturalist|volume=32|issue=4|pages=415–426|doi=10.2307/3671473|jstor=3671473|issn=0038-4909}}</ref> On the other hand, male and female adults are similar in terms of their sizes and the amounts of food ingested but exhibit drastic differences in the kinds of foods that they eat.<ref name=":2" /> From an evolutionary standpoint, these sexual differences in diet may act to reduce intra-species competition for resources, whereby females and males do not need to fight for the same type of food.<ref name=":2" /> Moreover, changes in season can drastically affect their diets as well.

==Cultural impact==
The collared lizard is the [[state reptile]] of [[Oklahoma]], where it is known as the '''mountain boomer'''. The origin of the name "mountain boomer" is not clear, but it may be traceable to settlers traveling west during the [[Gold Rush]]. One theory is that settlers mistook the sound of wind in canyons for the call of an animal in an area where the collared lizard was abundant. In reality, collared lizards are silent.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}

==Behavior==

Collared lizards are diurnal;<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Macedonia|first1=Joseph M.|last2=Brandt|first2=Yoni|last3=Clark|first3=David L.|date=2002-09-01|title=Sexual dichromatism and differential conspicuousness in two populations of the common collared lizard (''Crotaphytus collaris'') from Utah and New Mexico, USA|journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society|volume=77|issue=1|pages=67–85|doi=10.1046/j.1095-8312.2002.00092.x|s2cid=30673864 |issn=0024-4066|doi-access=free}}</ref> they are active during the day, and spend most of their time basking on top of elevated rocks or boulders. As a highly territorial species,<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal|last1=Baird|first1=Troy A.|last2=Acree|first2=Mark A.|last3=Sloan|first3=Chris L.|date=1996|title=Age and Gender-Related Differences in the Social Behavior and Mating Success of Free-Living Collared Lizards, ''Crotaphytus collaris''|journal=Copeia|volume=1996|issue=2|pages=336–347|doi=10.2307/1446849|jstor=1446849|issn=0045-8511}}</ref> they remain hyper-vigilant, scanning for predators or intruders, ready to sprint or fight when necessary. Generally, males are more active than females, as the former engage in more chase, fight, display, and courtship behaviors while the latter exhibit basking and foraging behaviors. The collared lizard in the wild has been the subject of a number of studies of [[sexual selection]]; in captivity if two males are placed in the same cage they will fight to the death. Females, on the other hand, do not demonstrate aggressive behaviors as frequently as males, experiencing less intra-species competition with other females.<ref name=":7" />

=== Social behavior ===
In an effort to monopolize as many female mates as they can, male ''C. collaris'' viciously defend their exclusive territories through aggression, patrolling activities, and displays.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite journal|last1=Baird|first1=Troy A.|last2=Sloan|first2=Chris L.|last3=Timanus|first3=Dusti K.|date=2001|title=Intra- and Inter-seasonal Variation in the Socio-Spatial Behavior of Adult Male Collared Lizards, ''Crotaphytus collaris'' (Reptilia, Crotaphytidae)|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1439-0310.2001.00628.x|journal=Ethology|language=en|volume=107|issue=1|pages=15–32|doi=10.1046/j.1439-0310.2001.00628.x|issn=1439-0310|url-access=subscription}}</ref> These territories provide ample resources and shelter the harem of females claimed and protected by the male territory owners. However, when agonistic interactions between male rivals escalate to violent fights, both lizards must expend substantial amounts of energy and risk getting seriously injured.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Baird|first1=Troy A.|last2=Curtis|first2=Jennifer L.|date=2010-07-01|title=Context-dependent acquisition of territories by male collared lizards: the role of mortality|journal=Behavioral Ecology|volume=21|issue=4|pages=753–758|doi=10.1093/beheco/arq049|issn=1045-2249|doi-access=free}}</ref> Thus, though males do actively exclude other males from territories, they do so without resorting to physical and unfavorable conflict. Instead, they partake in social displays, either at a distance or proximally from their competitors to advertise their superiority. Surprisingly, both types of social encounters, in which males perform push ups and compressions and elevations of the trunk with the dewlap extended,<ref name=":7" /> rarely lead to arduous and violent fights; rather, distant displays barely evoke a response while proximal confrontations may lead to chasing at most.<ref name=":3" />

Furthermore, ''C. collaris'' territory owners exhibit differential behaviors in response to neighbors and strangers, in which residents reduce the cost of territorial defense by demonstrating less aggression for spatial neighbors.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Husak|first1=Jerry F|last2=Fox|first2=Stanley F|date=2003-02-01|title=Adult male collared lizards, ''Crotaphytus collaris'', increase aggression towards displaced neighbours|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347203920586|journal=Animal Behaviour|language=en|volume=65|issue=2|pages=391–396|doi=10.1006/anbe.2003.2058|issn=0003-3472|s2cid=53156904|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Thus, when nearby residents approach an owner's shared territorial boundaries, the owner will recognize this individual and only engage in aggressive behaviors, usually in the form of a costly fight, if a threat to its territory is perceived.<ref name=":4" /> However, in the case of a stranger, the owner will exhibit intense hostility towards the intruder without hesitation.<ref name=":4" /> In relation, male territorial behaviors also vary within the reproductive season, decreasing in June due to the higher prevalence of reproductively active females and instead, engaging in more courtship behaviors.<ref name=":8" /> This cost-benefit strategy demonstrates the complex social behaviors and decision making processes exhibited by the male collared lizards.

== Reproduction ==
The reproductive season starts in mid-March to early April and concludes in mid-July.<ref name=":8" /> Females and smaller individuals emerge first from hibernation with males following around two weeks later. Though lizards are considered mature and may breed following their first hibernation, those that are two years and older exhibit greater reproductive success due to their larger size.<ref name=":8" /> In late May, courtship occurs between adult males and females. Subsequently, mature females, typically two years and older, produce their first clutches and lay them in a burrow or under a rock about two weeks after copulation. They may then go on to produce second and sometimes even third clutches throughout June until mid-July. The eggs are incubated in a temperature dependent manner, and the incubation period may vary from 50 to 100 days. On average, clutch size can range from 4 to 6 eggs, but larger, older females can produce more. By August, adults begin to hibernate again, and juveniles do the same after hatching. The earliest of the clutches can hatch in mid-July and later ones follow until mid-October. Upon hatching, juveniles are fully developed and behave independently of their parents, as the ''C. collaris'' do not exhibit any parental care in offspring.

=== Mating behavior and rituals===
''C. collaris'' are polygamous, which leads to intense territorial behaviors that include male to male competition for females partners.<ref name=":8" /> This triggers aggressive behaviors in males and induces fierce competition for mating. With regards to female selection of male mates, females not only prefer males who are bright and conspicuous in body coloration but also consider the resources such as food and territory that males may be able to provide in order to ensure reproductive success.<ref name=":8" /> Moreover, as males often must compete with other males for potential mates, their body and head size play a significant role in determining mating success.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last1=Lappin|first1=A. Kristopher|last2=Husak|first2=Jerry F.|date=September 2005|title=Weapon Performance, Not Size, Determines Mating Success and Potential Reproductive Output in the Collared Lizard (''Crotaphytus collaris'')|url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/432564|journal=The American Naturalist|volume=166|issue=3|pages=426–436|doi=10.1086/432564|issn=0003-0147|pmid=16224696|s2cid=34094246|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The variability in head size gives rise to differential jaw strength and bite force in males, which ultimately results in intra-species selection against smaller headed males.<ref name=":5" /> For example, if an instance of male-to-male conflict escalates into a violent fight between two males, the larger male with a substantial larger body mass and head size will overpower its weaker and smaller counterpart. Consequently, successful males may, more often than not, possess vibrant body coloration and patterns and may be bigger in size, specifically having larger head proportions.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cabido|first1=Carlos|last2=Galán|first2=Pedro|last3=López|first3=Pilar|last4=Martín|first4=José|date=March–April 2009|title=Conspicuousness-dependent antipredatory behavior may counteract coloration differences in Iberian rock lizards|url=https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/20/2/362/219350|journal=Behavioral Ecology|volume=20|issue=2|pages=362–370|doi=10.1093/beheco/arn152|doi-access=free}}</ref>

During courtship rituals, a male or a female lizard approaches the opposite sex within 1 body length and subsequently engages in various behavioral patterns, which include either individual superimposing its limbs, torso, or tail over its partner, mounting the dorsum of the other lizard, males nudging females with their snouts or grasping them with their jaws, and mutual displays.<ref name=":3" /> These mutual displays involve a complex set of movements and behaviors, unique to each sex. Males flex their forearms up and down and extend their dewlaps while females also extend their dewlaps and raise the base of their tails to signal receptivity.<ref name=":3" /> Ultimately, at the end of this courting process, both sexes walk in circles, making sure to remain within 1 body length of one another throughout.<ref name=":3" />

=== Sex determination ===
''C. collaris'' sex is determined by chromosomes passed from the parents producing either a male or female. However, some research suggested that possible override of incubation temperatures could change the sex of the developing embryo. Though results have not concluded any sex change, the possibility is still looked in to.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Santoyo-Brito|first1=Enrique|last2=Anderson|first2=Matthew|last3=Fox|first3=Stanley|date=January 2017|title=Incubation Temperature Modifies Sex Ratio of Hatchlings in Collared Lizards, ''Crotaphytus collaris''|journal=Journal of Herpetology|volume=51|issue=2|pages=197-201|doi=10.1670/15-167}}
</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed heights=160px>
File:Crotaphytus collaris, Eastern collared lizard, Tamaulipas.jpg|Eastern collared lizard (''Crotaphytus collaris melanomaculatus''), sub-adult photographed in situ, municipality of Miquihuana, [[Tamaulipas]], Mexico (19 September 2007)
File:Common_Collared_Lizard_at_Wichita_Mountains_National_Wildlife_Refuge_in_Oklahoma.JPG|Male collared lizard, with blue-green body and yellow-brown head, at the [[Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge]] near [[Lawton, Oklahoma|Lawton]], Oklahoma
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikispecies|Crotaphytus collaris}}
{{Commons category|Crotaphytus collaris}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Bonine |first1=K. E. |first2=T. |last2=Garland, Jr. |year=1999 |title=Sprint performance of phrynosomatid lizards, measured on a high-speed treadmill, correlates with hindlimb length |journal=Journal of Zoology |location=London |volume=248 |issue=2 |pages=255–265 |url=http://www.biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Garland/BonGar99.pdf |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01201.x |access-date=2007-09-17 |archive-date=2013-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016131245/http://www.biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Garland/BonGar99.pdf }}
*{{cite journal |last=Garland, Jr. |first=T. |year=1984 |title=Physiological correlates of locomotory performance in a lizard: an allometric approach |journal=American Journal of Physiology |volume=247 |issue=Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 16 |pages=R806–R815 |doi=10.1152/ajpregu.1984.247.5.R806 |pmid=6238543 |url=http://www.biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Garland/Garl1984.pdf }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Husak |first1=J. F. |first2=S. F. |last2=Fox |year=2006 |title=Field use of maximal sprint speed by collared lizards (''Crotaphytus collaris''): compensation and sexual selection |journal=[[Evolution (journal)|Evolution]] |volume=60 |issue= 9|pages=1888–1895 |doi=10.1111/j.0014-3820.2006.tb00532.x |pmid=17089973 |s2cid=2024684 |doi-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Husak |first1=J. F. |last2=Fox |first2=S. F. |last3=Lovern |first3=M. B. |last4=Van Den Bussche |first4=R. A. |year=2006 |title=Faster lizards sire more offspring: sexual selection on whole-animal performance |journal=Evolution |volume=60 |issue= 10|pages=2122–2130 |doi=10.1111/j.0014-3820.2006.tb01849.x |pmid=17133868 |s2cid=23623265 |doi-access= }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Lappin |first1=A. K. |first2=Y. |last2=Brandt |first3=J. F. |last3=Husak |first4=J. M. |last4=Macedonia |first5=D. J. |last5=Kemp |year=2005 |title=Gaping displays reveal and amplify a mechanically based index of weapon performance |journal=American Naturalist |volume=168 |issue=1 |pages=100–113 |jstor=3844679 |doi=10.1086/505161 |pmid=16874617|s2cid=4823496 |url=http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/services/Download/mq:9215/DS01 |url-access=subscription }}
*{{cite journal |last=Snyder |first=R. C. |year=1962 |title=Adaptations for bipedal locomotion of lizards |journal=American Zoology |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=191–203 |doi=10.1093/icb/2.2.191 |doi-access= }}

==Further reading==
*[[species:Ralph William Axtell|Axtell RW]], [[Robert G. Webb|Webb RG]] (1995). "Two new ''Crotaphytus'' from southern Coahuila and the adjacent states of east-central Mexico". ''Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences'' '''16''' (2): 1–15. (''Crotaphytus collaris melanomaculatus'', new subspecies).
*{{cite book |last=Drake |first=E. C. |year=1999 |title=Information on the Collared Lizard }}
*[[Henry Sheldon Fitch|Fitch HS]], [[Wilmer W. Tanner|Tanner WW]] (1951). "Remarks Concerning the Systematics of the Collared Lizard, (''Crotaphytus collaris''), with a Description of a New Subspecies". ''Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science'' '''54''' (4): 548–559. (''Crotaphytus collaris auriceps'', new subspecies).
*[[species:William Ingram|Ingram W]], [[Wilmer W. Tanner|Tanner WW]] (1971). "A taxonomic study of ''Crotaphytus collaris'' between the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers". ''Brigham Young University Science Bulletin'' '''13''' (2): 1–29. (''Crotaphytus collaris fuscus'', new subspecies).
*[[Robert Powell (herpetologist)|Powell R]], [[Roger Conant (herpetologist)|Conant R]], [[Joseph T. Collins|Collins JT]] (2016). ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition''. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 494 pp., 47 plates, 207 figures. {{ISBN|978-0-544-12997-9}}. (''Crotaphytus collaris'', pp. 276–277, Figure 132 + Plate 24).
*[[Thomas Say|Say T]] (1823). '''''In'':''' [[Edwin James (scientist)|James E]] (1823). ''Account of an Expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains, Performed in the Years 1819 and '20, by order of the Hon. J.C. Calhoun, Sec'y of War: Under the Command of Major Stephen H. Long. From the Notes of Major Long, Mr. T. Say, and other Gentlemen of the Exploring Party. Vol. II.'' Philadelphia: H.C. Carey and I. Lea. 442 pp. (''Agama collaris'', new species, p. 252).
*[[Hobart Muir Smith|Smith HM]], [[species:Edmund Darrell Brodie Jr.|Brodie ED Jr]] (1982). ''Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification''. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. {{ISBN|0-307-13666-3}} (paperback), {{ISBN|0-307-47009-1}} (hardcover). (''Crotaphytus collaris'', pp. 106–107).
*[[Leonhard Stejneger|Stejneger L]] (1890). "Annotated List of Reptiles and Batrachians Collected by Dr. C. Hart Merriam and Vernon Bailey on the San Francisco Mountain Plateau and Desert of the Little Colorado, Arizona, with Descriptions of New Species". ''North American Fauna'' (3): 103–118. (''Crotaphytus baileyi'', new species, pp. 103–105 + Plate XII, figure 1).).

{{Taxonbar|from=Q912320}}

[[Category:Crotaphytus]]
[[Category:Reptiles of the United States]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Mexico]]
[[Category:Least concern biota of the United States]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1823]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Thomas Say]]
__FORCETOC__

Othniel Charles Marsh

2025-10-19T00:11:35Z

2601:6C1:903:1AA0:B0F5:31AA:E681:C84F: /* Other career highlights */

{{Short description|American paleontologist (1831–1899)}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Othniel Charles Marsh
| image = Othniel Charles Marsh - Brady-Handy.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Marsh, 1865–1880
| birth_date = {{birth date|1831|10|29}}
| birth_place = [[Lockport (city), New York|Lockport, New York]], United States
| death_date = {{death date and age|1899|3|18|1831|10|29}}
| death_place = [[New Haven, Connecticut]], United States
| work_institutions = [[Yale University]]
| alma_mater = [[Yale College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Master of Arts|MA]]) [[University of Berlin]] [[Heidelberg University]] [[University of Breslau]]
| known_for =
| fields = [[Paleontology]]
| awards = [[Bigsby Medal]] {{small|(1877)}}
| signature = Appletons' Marsh Othniel Charles signature.png
}}

'''Othniel Charles Marsh''' (October 29, 1831 – March 18, 1899) was an American professor of [[paleontology]]. A prolific fossil collector, Marsh was one of the preeminent paleontologists of the nineteenth century. Among his legacies are the discovery or description of dozens of new species—including [[Stegosaurus]] and [[Triceratops]]—and theories on the origins of birds. He spent his academic career at [[Yale University|Yale College]] and was president of the [[National Academy of Sciences]].

Born into a modest family, Marsh was able to afford higher education thanks to the generosity of his wealthy uncle [[George Peabody]]. After graduating from Yale College in 1860 he traveled the world, studying [[anatomy]], [[mineralogy]] and [[geology]]. He obtained a teaching position at Yale upon his return. From the 1870s to 1890s, he competed with rival paleontologist [[Edward Drinker Cope]] in a period of frenzied Western American expeditions known as the [[Bone Wars]]. Marsh's greatest legacy is the collection of Mesozoic reptiles, Cretaceous birds, and Mesozoic and Tertiary mammals that now constitute the backbone of the collections of Yale's [[Peabody Museum of Natural History]] and the [[Smithsonian Institution]]. Marsh has been called "both a superb paleontologist and the greatest proponent of [[Darwinism]] in nineteenth-century America."{{sfnp|McCarren|1993|p=1}}

==Biography==
===Early life and family===
Othniel Charles Marsh{{efn|Marsh would not go by his given name outside of childhood, with Othniel omitted from his passport entirely,{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=15–16}} and preferred "O.C."{{sfnp|Wilford|1985|p=112}}}} was born on October 29, 1831, near Lockport, New York. He was the third of four children born to Mary Gaines Peabody (1807–1834) and Caleb Marsh (1800–1865). The Marsh (nee Marshe) family and Peabody families immigrated to America from England in the 1630s. Mary died shortly after the birth of her fourth child in 1834.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=6–13}} Caleb remarried in 1836 and Othniel moved with the family to [[Bradford, Massachusetts]].{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=13–15}} Soon after, Caleb's business fortunes soured, and Othniel's early years were marked by financial struggles.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=15–16}}

Caleb purchased a farm in Lockport when Marsh was twelve.{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|p=284}} As the eldest son, Othniel was expected to assist his father on the farm, and the two had a contentious relationship. Othniel much preferred excursions in the woods to his chores.{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|pp=284–285}} Among his childhood influences was Ezekiel Jewett, a former military officer and amateur scientist who influenced Othniel's interest in the sciences. Jewett had been drawn to the area by the fossils unearthed by the enlargement of the [[Erie Canal]], and the two would hunt and prospect for specimens together.{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|pp=284–285}}{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|p=22}}{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=16–18}}

By 1847, Othniel was attending school at the [[Wilson (village), New York#Education|Wilson Collegiate Institute]], and later attended the Lockport Union School.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=18}} Othniel was undecided as to what he would do for a living, but the course of his future was dramatically changed due to the intervention of his uncle [[George Peabody]], who was a successful banker.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=13}} With Peabody's financial assistance (spurred by Marsh's aunt, Judith), Marsh enrolled in [[Phillips Academy]] in 1851.{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|p=22}}{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=20–21}} Older than most of the other students, he was nicknamed "Daddy" by his peers.{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|p=22}} He was initially an unremarkable student, devoting much of his time to leisure and games, but the next year decided to focus on his studies. "I changed my mind," he later told a biographer, "during an afternoon spent on Dracut Heights [Lowell]. I resolved that I would return to Andover, take hold, and really study."{{efn|Author Mark Jaffe suggests Marsh's sudden change in mindset was sparked by the death of his sister Mary, who died at age 23, almost the same age as his mother.{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|p=22}}}}{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|pp=285–286}}

Marsh applied himself to his studies and graduated valedictorian of his class in 1856.{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|p=287}} In the summers off of school, he prospected for minerals in New York, Massachusetts and Nova Scotia.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=22, 25–27}} Upon graduation, Marsh decided to attend Yale, rather than Harvard, where many of his relatives had attended. He ran his letter to George Peabody asking for the funds by Aunt Judith first, who disapprovingly noted it contained two spelling errors.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|p=29}} Peabody agreed to cover Marsh's expenses and give him an allowance for spending money, and Marsh moved to New Haven in September.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|p=30}} Marsh was a good student, but not a thrifty one; Aunt Judith, who was in charge of monitoring Marsh while Peabody was in Europe, regularly upbraided her nephew for his lax accounting habits and large expenses.{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|p=23}}{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=39–40}} Marsh graduated eighth in his class, using a scholarship he won for the best examination in Greek to finance a master's degree from Yale's [[Sheffield Scientific School]], as he developed an interest in becoming a professor of science. While in graduate school, Marsh published his first scientific papers on minerals and vertebrate fossils from his Nova Scotia trips, which possibly inspired Marsh's interest in vertebrate paleontology. He obtained his master's degree in 1862.{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|p=23}}{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=41–45}}

===European travels===
Following school, Marsh declined a professorship at Yale{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|p=290}}{{efn|Biographers Charles Schuchert and Clara Mae LeVene say that the story of the professorship is "probably true" as Marsh included it in an outline of his life, but that there was no confirming record of such an offer.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|p=47}}}} and instead took a tour of Europe; it is possible the trip was to avoid being drafted into the [[American Civil War]], although he might have also been disqualified from service on account of his eyesight.{{sfnp|Wilford|1985|p=112}} Marsh traveled through England, France, Germany and Switzerland, studying with or making the acquaintance of prominent scientists such as [[Heinrich Ernst Beyrich]], [[Wilhelm Peters]], [[Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg]] and [[Henry Woodward (geologist)|Henry Woodward]]. In discussions with his uncle, Marsh convinced the businessman to fund a [[Yale Peabody Museum|natural history museum at Yale]].{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|pp=23–24}}{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=49, 56—57}}{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|p=291}} While studying at the [[University of Berlin]] in late 1863, the 32-year-old Marsh first met 25-year-old [[Edward Drinker Cope]], who was also on a scientific tour of Europe. Cope had much less formal schooling than Marsh, but had already published thirty-seven papers. The two Americans spent a few days together and would become friends.{{sfnp|Davidson|1997|p=29}}{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|pp=11–13}}

After a salmon fishing excursion with Peabody in Ireland, Marsh returned to America in July or August 1865.{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|p=291}}{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|p=63}} Marsh had expected Peabody's gift would have resulted in a position at Yale, but it took until 1866 when Yale established a chair of paleontology at the university. Marsh was given the position, but no salary was attached; biographer George Grinnell suggested that this suited Marsh just fine, as he was more interested in research than teaching.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=59–60, 65}}{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|p=290–291}} Marsh's interests shifted entirely to paleontology, and after 1869 his other scientific contributions mostly ceased.{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|p=290–291}}

===Trips west===
[[File:OCmarsh.jpg|thumb|right|Othniel Marsh (center, back row) and assistants ready for digging in 1872]]
{{see also|Bone Wars}}
While teaching, Marsh toured the country, visiting museums to inform the planning of the Yale Museum.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=94}} In 1868, he visited Cope; since their meeting, they had expressed warm wishes in letters to each other and even named species after each other.{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|p=12}} Cope took Marsh on a tour of the [[marl]] pits in New Jersey where he was finding fossils; unbeknownst to Cope, Marsh would later pay the pit operators to divert their finds to him instead of Cope.{{sfnp|Gallagher|1997|pp=34–36}} Marsh later noted that Cope's reconstruction of his newest find, the aquatic reptile ''[[Elasmosaurus]]'', was flawed: Cope had placed the head of the animal where its tail should have been. Marsh's criticism wrankled Cope, and threatened his nascent career; he responded by critiquing errors in Marsh's work, and moving in on areas Marsh was prospecting in. Their relationship began to sour.{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|pp=13–20}}

Marsh was looking further afield than New Jersey for fossils. After visiting Chicago for a meeting of the American Association, Marsh elected to join other members to [[Omaha]] on a "geological excursion"; it was Marsh's first trip to the far western United States, and it inspired him to return to prospect.{{sfnp|Schuchert|LeVene|1978|pp=96–97}}

Marsh organized a series of private expeditions starting in 1870 to 1874, with the prospecting groups composed of Yale students or recent graduates. The first of these uncovered more than a hundred new species of vertebrate fossils.{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|p=293}} After 1876, Marsh employed bone hunters who shipped specimens back to him; he did not return west himself until 1879.{{sfnp|Grinnell|1910|pp=296–297}}

When Cope began prospecting for fossils in the Bridger Basin, which Marsh considered "his" territory, their relationship deteriorated into hostility.{{sfnp|Wilford|1985|p=118}}

Marsh served as Vertebrate Paleontologist of the [[U.S. Geological Survey]] (USGS) from 1882 to 1892.<ref name=OCMarsh>{{cite web |url=http://peabody.yale.edu/collections/archives/biography/othniel-charles-marsh |title=Othniel Charles Marsh |author= |date=2017 |website=Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History |access-date=2017-07-27}}</ref> Thanks to [[John Wesley Powell]], head of the USGS, and Marsh's contacts in Washington, Marsh was placed at the head of the consolidated government survey in the late 1880s.{{sfnp|Wallace|1999|pp=175–179}}

===Other career highlights===
In 1880, Marsh caught the attention of the scientific world with the publication of ''Odontornithes: a Monograph on Extinct Birds of North America,'' which included his discoveries of birds with teeth. These skeletons helped bridge the gap between dinosaurs and birds, and provided invaluable support for [[Charles Darwin's theory of evolution]].{{sfnp|McCarren|1993|pp=16–17}} [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]] wrote to Marsh saying, "Your work on these old birds & on the many fossil animals of N. America has afforded the best support to the theory of evolution, which has appeared within the last 20 years" (since Darwin's publication of ''[[Origin of Species]]).<ref>Plate, Robert. ''The Dinosaur Hunters: Othniel C. Marsh and Edward D. Cope,'' pp. 210–11, David McKay Company, Inc., New York, New York, 1964.</ref><ref>Cianfaglione, Paul. "O.C. Marsh Odontornithes Monograph Still Relevant Today", July 20, 2016, ''Avian Musings: "going beyond the field mark."''</ref>''
[[File:Hesperornis Regalis - Project Gutenberg eText 16474.jpg|thumb|''Hesperornis regalis,'' a species of ancient flightless bird with teeth, as drawn by Othniel Marsh, and published in his book, ''Odontornithes: A Monograph on the Extinct Toothed Birds of North America'']]

Between 1883 and 1895, Marsh was President of the [[National Academy of Sciences]].<ref name=OCMarsh/>

The pinnacle of Marsh's work with dinosaurs came in 1896 with the publication of his two quartos, ''Dinosaurs of North America'' and ''Vertebrate Fossils,'' which demonstrated his unsurpassed knowledge of the subject.{{sfnp|McCarren|1993|p=11}}

On December 13, 1897, Marsh received the Cuvier Prize of 1,500 [[French franc|francs]] from the [[French Academy of Sciences]].<ref>{{cite journal |date=February 1898 |title=Minor Paragraphs |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/20878959 |url-status=dead |journal=Popular Science Monthly |page=574 |access-date=May 13, 2013}}</ref>

==Personality and views==
McCarren called Marsh the greatest proponent of Darwinism in 19th-century America.{{sfnp|McCarren|1993|p=1}} In 1877 Marsh said, "I am sure I need to offer no argument for evolution; since to doubt evolution today is to doubt science, and science is only another name for truth."{{sfnp|Marsh|1878|p=212}}

==Death==
He died on March 18, 1899 in [[New Haven, Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N3XVAAAAIAAJ&dq=othniel+charles+marsh+obit&pg=PA135 | title=The Ottawa Naturalist | date=1899 }}</ref>

==Legacy==

According to [[Peter Dodson]], Cope and Marsh "[have] left a legacy, and each was a distinguished researcher. But really it seems impossible to say one name without the other. Cope and Marsh." Marsh's names for three dinosaur groups and nineteen genera have survived, and though only three of Cope's named genera are still in use, he published a record 1,400 scientific papers.{{sfnp|Jaffe|2000|pp=381–382}} McCarren called Cope the only other American paleontologist who could rival Marsh's legacy.{{sfnp|McCarren|1993|p=1}}

{{see also|:Category:Taxa named by Othniel Charles Marsh}}
Marsh named the following dinosaur [[genus|genera]]:
{{columns-list |colwidth=22em|
* ''[[Allosaurus]]'' (1877)
* ''[[Ammosaurus]]'' (1890)
* ''[[Anchisaurus]]'' (1885)
* ''[[Apatornis]]'' (1873)
* ''[[Apatosaurus]]'' (1877)
* ''[[Atlantosaurus]]'' (1877)
* ''[[Barosaurus]]'' (1890)
* ''[[Brontosaurus]]'' (1879)
* ''[[Camptosaurus]]'' (1885)
* ''[[Ceratops]]'' (1888)
* ''[[Ceratosaurus]]'' (1884)
* ''[[Claosaurus]]'' (1890)
* ''[[Coelurus]]'' (1879)
* ''[[Coniornis]]'' (1893)
* ''[[Creosaurus]]'' (1878)
* ''[[Diplodocus]]'' (1878)
* ''[[Diracodon]]'' (1881)
* ''[[Dryosaurus]]'' (1894)
* ''[[Dryptosaurus]]'' (1877)
* ''[[Hesperornis]]'' (1872)
* ''[[Ichthyornis]]'' (1873)
* ''[[Labrosaurus]]'' (1896)
* ''[[Laosaurus]]'' (1878)
* ''[[Hesperornis|Lestornis]]'' (1876)
* ''[[Nanosaurus]]'' (1877)
* ''[[Nodosaurus]]'' (1889)
* ''[[Ornithomimus]]'' (1890)
* ''[[Pleurocoelus]]'' (1891)
* ''[[Priconodon]]'' (1888)
* ''[[Stegosaurus]]'' (1877)
* ''[[Torosaurus]]'' (1891)
* ''[[Triceratops]]'' (1889)
}}

He named the [[suborder]]s [[Ceratopsia]] (1890), [[Ceratosauria]] (1884), [[Ornithopoda]] (1881), [[Stegosauria]] (1877) and [[Theropoda]] (1881).

He also named the [[Family (biology)|families]] [[Allosauridae]] (1878), [[Anchisauridae]] (1885), [[Camptosauridae]] (1885), [[Ceratopsidae]] (1890), [[Ceratosauridae]], [[Coeluridae]], [[Diplodocidae]] (1884), [[Dryptosauridae]] (1890), [[Nodosauridae]] (1890), [[Ornithomimidae]] (1890), [[Plateosauridae]] (1895) and [[Stegosauridae]] (1880).

Marsh dubbed many additional species of dinosaur as well, notable taxa including ''[[Allosaurus fragilis]], [[Triceratops horridus]], [[Stegosaurus stenops]], [[Ornithomimus velox]]'' and ''[[Brontosaurus excelsus]]''.

Dinosaurs named by others in honour of Marsh include ''[[Hoplitosaurus marshi]]'' (Lucas, 1901), ''[[Iaceornis marshi]]'' (Clarke, 2004), ''[[Marshosaurus]]'' (Madsen, 1976), ''[[Othnielia]]'' (Galton, 1977) and ''[[Othnielosaurus]]'' (Galton, 2007).

Marsh's finds formed the original core of the collection of Yale's [[Peabody Museum of Natural History]]. The museum's Great Hall is dominated by the first fossil skeleton of ''Brontosaurus'' that he discovered, which was reclassified as ''Apatosaurus'' for a time. However, an extensive study published in 2015 concluded that ''Brontosaurus'' was a valid genus of sauropod distinct from ''Apatosaurus''.<ref name="TMB2015">{{Cite journal |last1=Tschopp |first1=E. |last2=Mateus |first2=O. V. |last3=Benson |first3=R. B. J. |year=2015 |title=A specimen-level phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Diplodocidae (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) |journal=PeerJ |volume=3 |pages=e857 |doi=10.7717/peerj.857 |pmc=4393826 |pmid=25870766 |doi-access=free}}{{open access}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20150407">{{cite news |last=Gorman |first=James |date=April 7, 2015 |title=A Prehistoric Giant Is Revived, if Only in Name |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/08/science/earth/the-brontosaurus-a-prehistoric-giant-is-revived-if-only-in-name.html |access-date=April 7, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Choi |first=Charles |date=April 7, 2015 |title=The Brontosaurus Is Back |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-brontosaurus-is-back1/ |access-date=April 21, 2025 |website=[[Scientific American]]}}</ref> Some other Marsh taxa like ''[[Camarasaurus lentus]]'', ''[[Nanosaurus agilis]]'' and ''[[Camptosaurus dispar]]'' are also represented in the Peabody fossil hall.

He donated his home in New Haven, Connecticut, to Yale University in 1899. The [[Othniel C. Marsh House]], now known as Marsh Hall, is designated a [[National Historic Landmark]]. Marsh Hall serves as the home of the Yale School of Forestry at the [[Yale School of the Environment]]. The grounds are now known as the [[Marsh Botanical Garden]].

Marsh was elected a member of the [[American Antiquarian Society]] in 1877.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlistm|title=MemberListM | American Antiquarian Society|website=americanantiquarian.org}}</ref>

Marsh formulated the law of brain growth, which states that, during the [[Tertiary period|tertiary]] period, many taxonomic groups presented gradual increase in the size of the brain. This evolutionary law remains being used due to its explanatory, and to a certain extent, predictive potential.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Faria|first=Felipe|title=Marsh's law of brain growth and the idea of biological progress in evolution|journal=Scientiae Studia|date=2017|volume=15|issue=2|pages=387–410|doi=10.11606/51678-31662017000200009|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Prior to Marsh's efforts, the entirety of fossil remains known in North America was quite small. As a result of the generosity of [[George Peabody]], Marsh was able to keep discovery teams in the field almost continuously from 1870 until his death. The material recovered in his 30 years of collection was simply astonishing to the scientific community. At the Peabody Museum, Marsh was the first to create skeletal displays of dinosaurs, which are now common in countless museums of natural history.{{sfnp|McCarren|1993|pp=2, 8–9}}

Marsh biographer Mark J. McCarren summed it up this way, Marsh's "contributions to the understanding of extinct reptiles, birds and mammals are unequaled in the history of paleontology."{{sfnp|McCarren|1993|p=55}}

[[Marsh Butte]], located in the Grand Canyon, was officially named in his honor in 1906.

On December 15, 2023, ''[[McSweeney's]]'' published the piece "It's a Comedian's Job to Make Fun of Everybody, and That's Why My Act Is Entirely About 1880s Paleontologist Othniel Marsh", by Anthony Scibelli.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scibelli |first=Anthony |date=December 15, 2023 |title=It's a Comedian's Job to Make Fun of Everybody, and That's Why My Act Is Entirely About 1880s Paleontologist Othniel Marsh |url=https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/its-a-comedians-job-to-make-fun-of-everybody-and-thats-why-my-act-is-entirely-about-1880s-paleontologist-othniel-marsh |access-date=April 21, 2025 |website=McSweeney's Internet Tendency}}</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Brinkman|first=Paul|year=2010|title=The Second Jurassic Dinosaur Rush: Museums and Paleontology in America at the Turn of the Twentieth Century|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-07473-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Davidson|first=Jane|year=1997|title=The Bone Sharp: The Life of Edward Drinker Cope|publisher=Academy of Natural Sciences|isbn=978-0-910006-53-8}}
*{{cite book|last=Gallagher |first=William B.|year=1997|title=When Dinosaurs Roamed New Jersey|url=https://archive.org/details/whendinosaursroa00gall|url-access=registration|location=New Brunswick|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=978-0-8135-2349-1}}
*{{cite book|last=Grinnell|first=George|authorlink=George Bird Grinnell|editor-last=Jordan|editor-first=David|date=1910|chapter=Othniel Charles Marsh|title=Leading American Men of Science|publisher=Henry Holt and Company}} {{isbn|978-0-598-75112-6}}.
* {{cite book | last=Jaffe | first=Mark | title=The Gilded Dinosaur: The Fossil War Between E. D. Cope and O. C. Marsh and the Rise of American Science | publisher=Crown Publishing Group | location=New York | year=2000 | isbn=0-517-70760-8 | url=https://archive.org/details/gildeddinosaur00mark }}
*{{cite speech|last=Marsh|first=Othniel|year=1878|title=Introduction and Succession of Vertebrate Life in America: An Address Delivered Before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at Nashville, Tenn, August 30, 1877|publisher=Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor}}
*{{cite book|last=McCarren|first=Mark J|year=1993|title=The Scientific Contributions of Othniel Charles Marsh: Birds, Bones, and Brontotheres|publisher=Peabody Museum of Natural History|isbn=978-0-912532-32-5}}
*{{cite book|last1=Schuchert|first1=Charles|last2=LeVene|first2=Clara Mae|date=1978|title=O.C. Marsh: Pioneer in Paleontology|publisher=Arno Press|isbn=978-0-405-10733-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Wallace|first=David|year=1999|title=The Bonehunters' Revenge: Dinosaurs, Greed, and the Greatest Scientific Feud of the Gilded Age|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|isbn=978-0-618-08240-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Wilford |first=John Noble |year=1985 |title=The Riddle of the Dinosaur |location=New York |publisher=Knopf Publishing |isbn=0-394-74392-X |url-access=registration |author-link=John Noble Wilford |url=https://archive.org/details/riddleofdinosaur0000wilf}}


==External links==
{{wikisource|works=or}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Othniel Charles Marsh}}
* {{cite episode |series=American Experience |title=Dinosaur Wars |airdate= 2011-01-17 |network=PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/dinosaur/}}
* [http://marsh.dinodb.com/ O. C. Marsh Papers]. marsh.dinodb.com
* View works by [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/creator/12437 Othniel Charles Marsh] online at the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
* [http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/marsh_othniel.pdf National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir]
* [https://www.lindahall.org/othniel-charles-marsh/ Scientist of the Day-Othniel Charles Marsh] at [[Linda Hall Library]]
*Othneil Charles Marsh papers (MS 343). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.[http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.0343 Collection: Othniel Charles Marsh papers | Archives at Yale]

{{NAS presidents}}
{{Presidents of the American Association for the Advancement of Science}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Othniel Charles}}
[[Category:1831 births]]
[[Category:1899 deaths]]
[[Category:Paleozoologists]]
[[Category:American paleontologists]]
[[Category:American taxonomists]]
[[Category:19th-century American zoologists]]
[[Category:19th-century American geologists]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:United States Geological Survey personnel]]
[[Category:Heidelberg University alumni]]
[[Category:Phillips Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science alumni]]
[[Category:Yale University faculty]]
[[Category:People from Lockport, New York]]
[[Category:Burials at Grove Street Cemetery]]
[[Category:Scientists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Yale College alumni]]
[[Category:Presidents of the American Association for the Advancement of Science]]