The Anchisaurus was first discovered in 1818, and was one of the first dinosaur fossils found in North America. Because of it being of such an early date it was first considered to be human remains. In 1855 it was found to be a reptiles fossils. A man named Hitchcock collected the fossils and named it Megadactylus in 1865. The name were already in use and was renamed Anchisaurus in 1885.