Edward Drinker Cope (1840–1897) was an American paleontologist who was the most prolific namer of reptiles, both extinct and living. He named over 1,000 new species, including many fish and mammal species; and he was considered one of the top experts in amphibians of his time. Cope was the son of a wealthy shipping magnate in Philadelphia, which allowed him to live as a freelance scholar associated with the Philadelphia Academy of Science.