Robert T. Bakker
| Robert T. Bakker | |
|---|---|
Robert Bakker in 2008
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| Born |
March 24, 1945 Bergen County, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Paleontology |
| Institutions |
Johns Hopkins University Houston Museum of Natural Science |
| Alma mater |
Yale University (B.A., 1968) Harvard University (Ph.D, 1971) |
| Doctoral advisor | John Ostrom |
| Known for | The "Dinosaur renaissance" |
Robert Thomas Bakker (born March 24, 1945) is an American paleontologist who helped reshape modern theories about dinosaurs, particularly by adding support to the theory that some dinosaurs were endothermic (warm-blooded). Along with his mentor John Ostrom, Bakker was responsible for initiating the ongoing "dinosaur renaissance" in paleontological studies, beginning with Bakker's article "Dinosaur Renaissance" in the April 1975 issue of Scientific American. His special field is the ecological context and behavior of dinosaurs.
Bakker has been a major proponent of the theory that dinosaurs were "warm-blooded," smart, fast and adaptable. He published his first paper on dinosaur endothermy in 1968. His seminal work, The Dinosaur Heresies, was published in 1986. He revealed the first evidence of parental care at nesting sites for Allosaurus. Bakker was among the advisors for the film Jurassic Park and for the 1992 PBS series, The Dinosaurs!. Bakker also appeared in the Sega CD version of Jurassic Park. He also observed evidence in support of Eldredge and Gould's theory of punctuated equilibrium in dinosaur populations. Bakker currently serves as the Curator of Paleontology for the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
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