Richard Harlan

Life & Legacy

Richard Harlan (September 19, 1796 – September 30, 1843) was an American paleontologist, anatomist, and medical doctor. He was the first American to devote significant time and attention to vertebrate paleontology and was one of the most important contributors to the field in the early nineteenth century. His work was noted for its focus on objective descriptions, taxonomy and nomenclature. He was the first American to routinely apply binomial Linnaean names to vertebrate and invertebrate fossils. Prior to the time of Harlan, it was common practice to publish only a genus name for a fossil animal that was new to science.