What positive influence did cope and mar

sh rivalry have on the field of paleontology

Cope and Marsh were financially and socially ruined by their attempts to out compete and disgrace each other, but they made important contributions to science and the field of palaeontology and provided substantial material for further work-both scientists left behind many unopened boxes of fossils after their deaths. The efforts of the two men led to more than 136 new species of dinosaurs being discovered and described. The products of the Bone Wars resulted in an increase in knowledge of prehistoric life, and sparked the public's interest in dinosaurs, leading to continued fossil excavation in North America in the decades to follow. Many historical books and fictional adaptations have been published about this period of intense fossil-hunting activity.