Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 3, 1993 TAG: 9303030395
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
FOSSILS INTRODUCE OUR PAST
AS A PALEONTOLOGIST, I can only add enthusiastic cheers to state Sen. Charles Waddell's efforts to have Chesapecten jeffersonius designated the official state fossil of Virginia. I must, however, contradict his assertion (Feb. 14 letter, "State fossil a tribute to a great bay") that Chesapectin jeffersonius was the first fossil described and illustrated from America. The first American fossils were seen in Europe by the beginning of the 17th century, and a variety of American fossils were collected and described by European naturalists throughout the 18th century. However, the first American to describe and formally present the discovery of an American fossil may well have been Thomas Jefferson.In 1797, while in Philadelphia to be sworn in as vice president, Jefferson also assumed the presidency of the American Philosophical Society. With him, he carried the bones from a large, clawed animal discovered in a saltpeter mine in West Virginia, as well as a paper to present to the society, in which he named the animal Megalonyx ("the great claw"). In his paper, Jefferson described this animal as a large lion, only to discover shortly before his presentation that a similar animal was known in Europe to be a giant sloth. Fortunately, old Tom knew when he was out of his league, and he amended his description of Megalonyx in time to secure his reputation as the founding patron of American paleontology.
Do we need a state fossil? No, not any more than we "need" any other symbol of the commonwealth's heritage (the state bird, flower, motto, etc.). But as a symbol, a state fossil has much to recommend it. Fossils are often a child's first introduction to natural science. Finding a Chesapecten jeffersonius provides the excitement of discovering a piece of Virginia's ancient past. Why not highlight this with an official recognition? J. BRET BENNINGTON Department of Geological Sciences Virginia Tech BLACKSBURG