Historedia
Person

William Buckland

Events
2
Episodes
6
Years
1823–1824

Every event in Historedia whose sources name William Buckland, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. Buckland inspects the Red Lady of Paviland

    1823

    Role: Geology Professor at Oxford University

    1. 1823 · Paviland CaveGeological Interpretation

      Buckland attributed the skeleton's presence to a historical grave dug into older layers, adhering to Cuvier's view that humans did not coexist with extinct animals.

    2. January 1823 · Paviland CaveDiscovery of the Red Lady

      Buckland discovered a partial skeleton dyed in red ochre, which he named the 'Red Lady' based on his mistaken assumption it was a female prostitute.

    3. 18-25 January 1823 · Goat's Hole CaveInspection of Paviland Cave

      Buckland arrived at Goat's Hole Cave on 18 January 1823 and spent a week inspecting the site where animal bones had been previously found.

  2. William Buckland announces Megalosaurus

    1824

    Role: Announcer and Author

    1. 1824 · Geological Society of LondonValid Publication in Transactions

      The descriptions of the bones in the Transactions of the Geological Society in 1824 constituted a valid publication of the name Megalosaurus.

    2. 1824 · Geological Society of LondonFossil Material and Size Estimates

      Buckland's 1824 description relied on specific fossil specimens from Stonesfield, including jaw, vertebrae, and pelvic bones, repeating Cuvier's size estimates.

    3. 20 February 1824 · Geological Society of LondonFormal Announcement at the Geological Society

      Buckland formally announced Megalosaurus at the Geological Society of London on 20 February 1824, establishing it as the first validly named non-avian dinosaur genus.

Sources

  1. Red Lady of Paviland Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-07
  2. William Buckland Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-08
  3. Megalosaurus Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-21