Richard Owen

Richard Owen (1804-1892) was an English biologist and palaeontologist. Despite being controversial later in life, Owen was a prolific naturalist, and is probably best known today for coining the word "dinosaur".

Biography
Owen was born in Lancaster in 1804. In 1820, he became the apprentice of a surgeon and apocathery, and four years later he became a medical student at the University of Edinburgh. Owen was very interested in anatomical research, and his hitherto unrivaled knowledge of comparative anatomy served him well, especially when studying extinct animals.