Mysticism and rudely-shaped rocks: why 17th-century palaeontology is worth revisiting

It may deviate into descriptions of giant humans and Noah, but Robert Plot's 1676 work demonstrates how current research is based on generations of work

In the history of dinosaur palaeontology, naturalist and chemist Robert Plot, is credited as making the earliest (surviving) description and illustration of a dinosaur fossil. In the rather verbose The Natural History of Oxfordshire of 1676, addressed to King Charles II, Plot systematically records his observations of the heavens, air, waters, earths, stones, plants, men, women, arts and animals of Oxfordshire.

Chapter five of the book is about "Formed Stones" and it's in this chapter that the "first dinosaur" is recorded. In a section describing formed stones reminiscent of the parts of humans, Plot describes and illustrates a stone in "... the figure of the lowermost part of the thigh-bone of Man or at least some other Animal ..." but larger in proportion than a horse or ox and different and smaller than an elephant. With some suspect deduction, Plot suggests that this must be from a giant man or woman and then gives an exhaustive account of giants known from history.