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Sketch of Dinner in Iguanodon Model as remembered by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, 1862. Source: Letter from Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins to Edward James Alfred Trimmer, 27 August, British Library Add MS 50150 f215. Photo: ProfJoeCain CC BY NC.

Remembering Dinner in the Dinosaur: Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins’ 1862 Sketch

Near the end of August 1862, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins (1807-1894) wrote to Edward Trimmer (1827-1904) with a brief mention of the New Year’s Eve dinner in Iguanodon mould. The letter [...]

The Extinct Animals Model-Room at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham. Illustrated London News. Published 31 December 1853.

Studio for Crystal Palace Dinosaurs: Enter The Extinct Animals Model-Room

The famous engraving of New Year’s Eve Dinner in Iguanodon, published in Illustrated London News on 07 January 1854, appeared only one week after readers of the popular weekly magazine [...]

G. Ledyard Stebbins’s (1950) Variation and Evolution in Plants. Title page

Variation and Evolution in Plants (1950) by G. Ledyard Stebbins

G. Ledyard Stebbins‘ (1906-2000) book, Variation and Evolution in Plants, was published in 1950 by Columbia University Press in their Columbia Biological Series. This book played an important part in [...]

Ernst Mayr’s (1942) Systematics and the Origin of Species from the Viewpoint of a Zoologist. Title page

Systematics and the Origin of Species (1942) by Ernst Mayr

Ernst Mayr‘s (1904-2005) book, Systematics and the Origin of Species from the Viewpoint of a Zoologist was published in 1942 by Columbia University Press in their Columbia Biological Series. This [...]

HPSC0097 Research Project

Postgraduate taught students in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) undertake summer research projects resulting in dissertations or research reports. Professor Joe Cain supervises some students in this work, as do all academic […]

2026-27 Modules

HPSC0009 Introduction to History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science

This page is in development. Please return in September 2026. Find out more.

HPSC0028 History of Life Sciences

A historical survey of the biological sciences from the Enlightenment to the present. What are the big names and big ideas? How were they received at the time and appropriated later? Who’s been ignored and […]

Sewall Wright Taught Me - Evolution - lecture notes Robert E Sloan

Sewall Wright Taught Me series: Evolution, Genetics, Physiological Genetics | EGP

The mathematical population geneticist and evolutionary biologist Sewall Wright taught throughout his long career. Between 1926-1955, he worked at the University of Chicago. During this time, he developed and taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. […]

Evolution. Sewall Wright Taught Me, volume 1. Edited by Joe Cain. ISBN 9781906267025

Evolution: Sewall Wright Taught Me, volume 1 | EGP

Sewall Wright taught throughout his long career. Between 1926-1955, he worked at the University of Chicago. During this time, he developed and taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. By the early 1930s, Wright’s teaching load […]

Eoörnis pterovelox gobiensis (Eoornis) | EGP

Meet Eoörnis (Eoornis), the woofen-poof. As the author explains, ‘Through countless ages and successive civilizations this remarkable bird has been the symbol of speed, stamina, grace of line, proportion of members, and beauty of motion.’ […]

Professor Joe Cain

UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology

Synthesis Period in Evolutionary Studies

Evolution: Sewall Wright Taught Me, volume 1 | EGP

One Hundred and One Mendelians – Buttolph (2008)

Genetics and the Origin of Species (1937) by Theodosius Dobzhansky

Patricide in the Repeated Assassination of George Gaylord Simpson

International Genetical Congress (1939, Seventh): Queries using LLM

Crystal Palace Dinosaurs

Remembering Dinner in the Dinosaur: Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins’ 1862 Sketch

Studio for Crystal Palace Dinosaurs: Enter The Extinct Animals Model-Room

GenAI in Research

Variation and Evolution in Plants (1950) by G. Ledyard Stebbins

Systematics and the Origin of Species (1942) by Ernst Mayr

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Robert Edmond Grant’s 1829 Summer Lectures Announced

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HPSC Modules 2026-27

HPSC0097 Research Project

HPSC0009 Introduction to History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science

HPSC0028 History of Life Sciences

Open Access Titles | Euston Grove Press

Sewall Wright Taught Me series: Evolution, Genetics, Physiological Genetics | EGP

Evolution: Sewall Wright Taught Me, volume 1 | EGP

Eoörnis pterovelox gobiensis (Eoornis) | EGP