Johann Friederich Esper, 1774

ESPER, Johann Friederich (1732-1781). Ausführliche Nachricht von neu entdeckten Zoolithen unbekannter vierfüsiger Thiere. Nuremberg: Georg Wolfgang Knorr, 1774.

Lovely, crisp copy of the first edition of the first work on the discovery of human fossils, with vivid hand-coloring. Esper discovered the fossilized remains of extinct animals and human bones in the cave of Gaillenreuth in Bavaria, becoming the first to identify and describe the remains not only of the prehistoric cave bear, but of early hominids. Although Esper considers the possibility that early humans lived alongside now-extinct megafauna, he ultimately concludes that the fossils must have been brought together by the Biblical flood. The fine plates by V. Bischoff, J.A. Eisenmann and A. Hoffer depict the cave bear bones at Gaillenreuth.

"A new epoch in the literature of caves began with Esper’s investigation of fossil remains of mammalian bones discovered in the Franconian caves. Interest then centred on the paleontological significance of the remains in cave deposits" (Zittel). Scientific proof of their fossil origin had to await Schmerlin’s researches published 1833-4. This publication was simultaneously issued in German and French. Nissen ZBI 1318.

Folio (405 x 259mm). Engraved vignette depicting the cave site at beginning of text, 14 hand-colored engraved plates. Contemporary half sheep over decorated paper boards, edges red (a little worn).