Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology [Hardcover]

Stanley Hedeen (Author), John Mack Faragher (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2008

Shawnee legend tells of a herd of huge bison rampaging through the Ohio Valley, laying waste to all in their path. To protect the tribe, a deity slew these great beasts with lightning bolts, finally chasing the last giant buffalo into exile across the Wabash River, never to trouble the Shawnee again. The source of this legend was a peculiar salt lick in present-day northern Kentucky, where giant fossilized skeletons had for centuries lain undisturbed by the Shawnee and other natives of the region. In 1739, the first Europeans encountered this fossil site, which eventually came to be known as Big Bone Lick. The site drew the attention of all who heard of it, including George Washington, Daniel Boone, Benjamin Franklin, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and especially Thomas Jefferson. The giant bones immediately cast many scientific and philosophical assumptions of the day into doubt, and they eventually gave rise to the study of fossils for biological and historical purposes. Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology recounts the rich history of the fossil site that gave the world the first evidence of the extinction of several mammalian species, including the American mastodon. Big Bone Lick has played many roles: nutrient source, hallowed ground, salt mine, health spa, and a rich trove of archaeological and paleontological wonders. Natural historian Stanley Hedeen presents a comprehensive narrative of Big Bone Lick from its geological formation forward, explaining why the site attracted animals, regional tribespeople, European explorers and scientists, and eventually American pioneers and presidents. Big Bone Lick is the history of both a place and a scientific discipline: it explores the infancy and adolescence of paleontology from its humble and sometimes humorous beginnings. Hedeen combines elements of history, geology, politics, and biology to make Big Bone Lick a valuable historical resource as well as the compelling tale of how a collection of fossilized bones captivated a young nation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

History and science come together in this fascinating story of a woodland salt lick and how the fossil bones found there influenced the beginnings of paleontology in America. The saline springs of northern Kentucky's Big Bone Lick have nurtured humans and animals for centuries, and the bones of extinct mastodons, bison and other creatures are there to prove it. Biology professor emeritus Hedeen illuminates a time when the concept of extinction was considered outrageous, if not downright blasphemous, since it contradicted the biblical doctrine of a perfect, unchanging creation. Early 18th-century naturalists believed the bones were remnants of some rare type of elephant, possibly even Asian elephants that had somehow wandered into American forests. Naturalists such as Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon and Georges Cuvier (who coined the term mastodon) appear alongside Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and extinction skeptic Thomas Jefferson, who sent Lewis and Clark west with a laundry list of goals that included finding knowledge of 'living Mammoth, & of the Megatherium also.'  Hedeen depicts a vibrant and exciting era, when the 1755 map notation Elephants Bones found here drew the attention of the whole world. (Feb.)
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Review

""This excellent work by Stanley Hedeen is the most comprehensive account of Big Bone Lick that has yet been produced. The author has touched and expounded upon many facts that have sometimes been overlooked by others. I highly endorse it for those who cherish our heritage and this unique site." -- Bruce Ferguson, former Boone County Judge/Executive and former president, Big Bone Lick Park Association" --

""Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology focuses on the century-long search for the true identity of the bones of various prehistoric animals found at this salt lick in northern Kentucky. In this ambitious chronicle, Hedeen incorporates a multitude of personalities and ideas that helped to shape the odyssey of the bones' discovery -- from Indian myths and religious beliefs to the first theories developed in the embryonic scientific fields of geology and paleontology." -- Paul Semonin, author of American Monster: How the Nation's First Prehistoric Creature Became a Symbol of National Identity" --

""This outstanding book provides new details and new perspective on one of the most extraordinary discoveries on the American frontier--the seemingly inexhaustible collection of huge animal fossils at Big Bone Lick. Hedeen explains why the bones, tusks, and teeth captured the attention of scientists and the public and shows how Thomas Jefferson used the Mammoth bones to refute the European idea that the New World environment was inferior and unable to grow large animals. The book gives us greater understanding of why frontier travelers turned aside to visit the site. Gradually unfolding the intriguing story of how anatomists identified the fossils, Hedeen demonstrates that Big Bone Lick was the birthplace of American paleontology." -- James A. Ramage, author of Gray Ghost: The Life of Col. John Singleton Mosby" --

""History and science come together in this fascinating story of a woodland salt lick and how the fossil bones found there influenced the beginnings of paleontology in America." --Publishers Weekly" --

""Sure to be in demand, this is recommended for most collections."--Library Journal" --

""In his examination of Big Bone Lick, Hedeen is remarkably thorough: He provides maps of the area, as well as drawings and pictures of the various animals that eventually were discovered. More important, Hedeen is able to re-create the thought processes among top scientists in the world at the time. Following their collective confluences and deviations, Hedeen crafts a story of outlandish theories of existence, first vehemently denied, then gradually accepted, slowly chiseling away at the mountain of accepted science." --Lexington Herald-Leader" --

""Hedeen includes 'elements of history, geology, politics, and biology' to provide a thorough account of a famous deposit of vertebrate fossils... Recommended." --Choice" --

""Hedeen has produced a most comprehensive study of the story of Big Bone and its significance....Big Bone Lick is the story of both a place and a scientific discipline. It explores the infancy of paleontology and the author includes elements of history, geology, politics and biology to produce a valuable historical resource as well as a compelling tale of how this site captivated a young nation." --Northern Kentucky Heritage" --

""This is a meaningful read as the world faces climate change and further extinctions." --Bloomsbury Review" --

""While the author ably details the science of Big Bone Lick, it is his rich history of the people who collected there that makes this book the most fascinating."--Big Bone Journal" --

""Hedeen's popular and well-researched account blends geology, history, exploration, biology, and politics, and is generally entertaining." --Science Books & Films" --

""History and science come together in this fascinating story of an enigmatic salt lick in a Kentucky forest and how the discoveries there influenced the rise of paleontology in America."--Kentucky Monthly" --

""Hedeen's Big Bone Lick is recommended reading for those with an interest in evolution and the history of science. It also offers a look at several historical figures from an unusual angle -- as science buffs, amateur naturalists and savvy debators."--SciFi Dimensions" --

""Although it is difficult to produce a book that will both interest a wide audience and maintain scholarly integrity, Stanley Hedeen has succeeded in doing so with this history of the fossil beds at Big Bone Lick."--Journal of Southern History" --

""Concerns a noted fossil site and its importance to the history of American paleontology." --Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences" --

""Hedeen tells the story of Big Bone Lick from all viewpoints: geological, paleontological, and human.... a wonderful summary of a complex site with a special place in American history." --Indiana Magazine of History" --

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 204 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (February 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813124859
• ISBN-13: 978-0813124858
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,363,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Big Bone Lick, May 5, 2008

By 

Gary Raham "Science writer/illustrator" (CO) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology (Hardcover)

Stanley Hedeen does a nice job pulling together a wide variety of reference materials into a very readable account of the history of paleontological investigations at Big Bone Lick, Kentucky. I knew something about Thomas Jefferson's interest in the site, both before and after Lewis and Clarke's expedition to the American west, and how his paleontological interests partially motivated his desire for western exploration, but I was unfamiliar with the many others who visited the site and came away with magnificent fossils. The book highlights how this site helped raise the consciousness of people about distant times and the concept of species extinctions in general.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dry Read, but Direct on an Interesting Subject, October 27, 2011

By 

Martha C. Knox - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology (Hardcover)

I'll be honest, it is not a book I'd recommend to just anyone who likes to read. The book is pretty dry, especially the first few chapters. Lots of straight-forward information organized into descriptive chapters. The chapters have titles such as "Relationship between surface bedrock and the Cincinnati Arch" and "Forty-inch-log femur collected at Big Bone Lick in 1739". I enjoy this sort of reading, but it isn't a page turner.

I think it picks up a bit in chapter 4 when the book really starts to get into the debates over the identification of mammoth and mastodon remains, and the philosophical and religious consequences of discovering that animals can and have gone extinct. (All the discoveries covered in this book pre-date the discovery of dinosaurs, though not by much.) You start to get a good idea of just how shattering these scientific discoveries were to the Western worldview of the day. And for those interested in figures in American history, this book features quite a few, including Thomas Jefferson, William Clark, and Daniel Boone. Also some important French Naturalists, especially Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon and Georges Cuvier.

The whole book is only 150 pages, and in my opinion well worth the read for those interested in the discovery of extinct megafauna, American history, or natural history during the Enlightenment.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great historical read, but needed more..., May 6, 2008

By 

Casey Tucker "tuckercj" (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology (Hardcover)

Hedeen's "Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology" is a great review of the historical significance that Big Bone Lick played in American paleontology and science.

It was refreshing to read how our early American forefathers, including Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, were truly renaissance men who not only had interests in politics and world affairs, but also natural history and science issues (so different from many of our current politicians). I also enjoyed learning about how the Lick was an interface between our forefathers as well as some of the world's leading scientific minds.

The book was wonderfully quick and fascinating lead, but felt like it was lacking something.

Personally, I would have liked to learn more about the ecology of the extinct animals that were found at the site, or at least more in-depth information about the animals themselves. The content of the book really focused more on the major players who were involved in discoveries at the site, or naming and identifying the species found at the Lick, but spent little time talking about how those animals may have lived and died at the site (though did mention some speculations made by some of the people involved). Likewise, it would have been nice to learn more about the habitats and environments around the lick when these extinct animals were alive, and what may have actually caused their extinction (presumably climate change and the end of the ice age?).

Lastly, it would have been interesting if Hedeen could have expanded on the history of Native American groups at the Lick.

Overall, it's a great book and will be especially of interest to those who have visited the Lick, are familiar with the Ohio River Valley, or have an interest in early American paleontology.