In the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais in 1840, the Danish paleontologist Peter Wilhelm Lund (1801–1880) became the first naturalist to discover human remains in the same stratum as extinct megafauna (e.g., the Megatherium). These findings traced the origins of humankind back into deep time and refuted the quasi-biblical catastrophism of the French natural historian Georges Cuvier. Lund soon ceased his excavations and sent his collections to King Christian VIII of Denmark. Could it be that he abandoned his fieldwork because it posed a threat to Lutheran creationism? And why is Lund now renowned only in Brazil if Darwin drew on his findings to argue for the antiquity of humanity in The Origin of Species?
Troy Wellington Smith is a cultural historian of the Danish Golden Age (ca. 1800–1850). He earned a PhD in Scandinavian Languages and Literatures from the University of California, Berkeley in 2023 and has published a number of articles on Golden Age figures like Søren Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen, as well as translations of the novelist Thomasine Gyllembourg, such as her Two Ages: A Novella (Brill 2026).
This event will be offered hybrid, though in-person participation is highly encouraged for the best experience.
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NHSM’s Fossil Club is a group of novice and more experienced collectors who meet to share knowledge and discuss fossil identification, fossil locations, and other fossil-related topics. Monthly meetings feature guest speakers both from within the club and from outside organizations. We also strive to schedule frequent collection trips to various locations.
Although you don’t need to be a member to attend a meeting, membership gives you access to additional experiences.
If you are not yet a member of NHSM, click here to join. When you join as a new member, you can add the club membership(s) of your choice to your registration. Current NHSM members who wish to join any clubs should email the Community Coordinator at kcornell@marylandnature.org.
Registration
Levels:-
NHSM Member: $0
Suggested $5 donation. -
Fossil Club Member: $0
Suggested $5 donation. -
Education For All: $0
Suggested $5 donation.