The first dinosaur fossils to be scientifically described came from England. In 1824, English geologist William Buckland formally described and named Megalosaurus from fossil remains found near Stonesfield in Oxfordshire.
The story began earlier. In 1677, English naturalist Robert Plot illustrated a large fossil thigh bone, probably belonging to Megalosaurus, but he did not recognize it as a dinosaur. At the time, scientists had no concept of dinosaurs and interpreted unusual bones through the limited framework of known animals and biblical history.
Buckland’s work was a major turning point because he identified the remains as belonging to a giant extinct reptile. The word “dinosaur” did not yet exist; Richard Owen coined Dinosauria in 1842, using fossils including Megalosaurus, Iguanodon, and Hylaeosaurus to define the group.
A common misconception is that the first dinosaur fossils were discovered in the United States. American discoveries later became central to dinosaur research, but the earliest scientifically described dinosaur material came from England.