14 Facts About Richard Harlan

Richard Harlan was an American paleontologist, anatomist, and physician.

Richard Harlan 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.

Richard Harlan's work was noted for its focus on objective descriptions, taxonomy and nomenclature.

Richard Harlan was the first American to routinely apply binomial Linnaean names to vertebrate and invertebrate fossils.

Richard Harlan was three years older than his brother Josiah Harlan, who would become the first American to visit Afghanistan.

Richard Harlan graduated in medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 1818 after taking time off during his studies to spend a year sailing to India as a ship's surgeon for the British East India Company.

Richard Harlan worked briefly at the private medical school of Joseph Parish.

Richard Harlan wrote a text on the human brain Anatomical Investigations.

Richard Harlan collected and received natural history specimens from a number of his friends and colleagues including Dr William Blanding, Samuel George Morton, and Samuel Wilson.

Richard Harlan collaborated with other naturalists and supported Audubon during his travels.

Richard Harlan described a number of species including Macroclemys temminckii, Harlan's ground sloth, Harlan's muskox and the Indian Hoolock gibbon.

Richard Harlan made an error in describing a species called Osteopera platycephala based on the skull of Agouti paca.

Richard Harlan was criticized by his colleague from the Peale museum, John D Godman, who wrote anonymously.

In 1834, Richard Harlan described and named Basilosaurus, a genus of early whale, erroneously assuming he had found a Plesiosaurus-like dinosaur.