Paul Sereno

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Paul Sereno (2007)

Paul Callistus Sereno (born October 11, 1957 in Naperville near Chicago ) is an American paleontologist . Sereno published the first scientific description of a number of dinosaurs and other extinct vertebrates . With the establishment of higher taxa , he also gave important impulses for the modern understanding of the relationships between these animals.

Sereno reaches a broader public with a media-effective staging of paleontology, so he poses for the press with a hat reminiscent of the popular film character Indiana Jones and corresponding gestures in front of dinosaur bones. Sereno is a professor of paleontology and evolution at the University of Chicago and is explorer-in-residence with National Geographic . He is married to his former student, Gabrielle Lyon.

Life

Paul Sereno is the son of a postman and was considered a less than ambitious student. He first studied art and biology at Northern Illinois University . During a guided tour of the museum with a look behind the scenes, he discovered his fascination for paleontology . He continued his studies in geology at Columbia University , where he received his PhD in 1987, and worked for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City . Since 1988 he has taught at the University of Chicago.

Scientific work

In 1988, Sereno began excavations in Argentina, where he discovered a complete skeleton of Herrerasaurus (1988) and the early dinosaur Eoraptor (1991). Together with Andrea B. Arcucci , Sereno examined the fossil of Lagosuchus lilloensis in 1994 and found some anatomical differences to other Lagosuchus species, which is why he classified the species in the genus Marasuchus established by him .

From 1990 to 2003 he described (partly as a co-author) on a total of six expeditions to Morocco and in the Niger species such as Afrovenator , Jobaria , Suchomimus , Deltadromeus and the crocodile relative Sarcosuchus . In 2001 it took him to West and Central India , where he discovered, among other things, the predatory dinosaur Rajasaurus .

In recent years he has been digging in the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia (China) and Tibet . Sereno led expeditions on five continents and wrote the first scientific description of more than twenty fossil species. Its overriding goal, however, is to deepen knowledge about the relationships between the dinosaurs .

Publications

In addition to scientific publications , Sereno wrote a number of popular science articles in the National Geographic Magazine and Natural History, as well as a number of book articles. The non-profit organization Project Exploration, founded together with his wife in 1998 with this aim , is an expression of his endeavors to make his discoveries available to the general public .

Awards

Paul Sereno received a number of honors in recognition of his research work , including the Teacher of the Year Award from the Chicago Tribune in 1993, the title “ Chicagoan of the Year ” in 1996 from Chicago Magazine , and in 1997 in the " Century Club " of Newsweek Magazine and in the same year named " 50 Most Beautiful People " by People Magazine . The Boston Museum of Science awarded him the Walker Prize for outstanding contributions to paleontology and Columbia University the University Medal for Excellence.

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personal data
SURNAME Sereno, Paul
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sereno, Paul Callistus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American paleontologist
DATE OF BIRTH October 11, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Naperville