The foundation of paleontology as a science dates back to the work of Georges Cuvier in 1796.
Notes on verification
Multiple independent, reputable sources (encyclopedic and academic) confirm Cuvier's 1796 paper as foundational to paleontology, though formal publication came in 1800. [cascade flags: aggregator_dropped_primary_exists,wikipedia_mirror_dropped_other_sources_exist | tier=silver indep_score=0.917 clusters=3 claim_tier=notable]
Sources
- Paleontology (wikipedia)
- https://www.uky.edu/KGS/education/did-big-bone-lick-georges-cuvier.php (corroboration)
- https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/georges-cuvier-1769-1832 (corroboration)
- https://www.famousscientists.org/georges-cuvier/ (corroboration)