Title: Dinosaurs
Description: This dissertation examines how the modern dinosaur--fully mounted, freestanding assemblages of vertebrate fossils such as we are accustomed to seeing at the natural history museum--came into being during the late 19th and early 20th century, focusing especially on the United States. But it is not just, or even primarily a history of vertebrate paleontology. Rather, I use dinosaurs as an opportunity to explore how science was embedded in broader changes that were happening at the time. In particular, I am interested in tracing how the culture of modern capitalism--the ideals, norms, and practices that governed matters of value and exchange--manifested itself in the way fossils were collected, studied, and put on display.