Anthony Fiorillo

Last updated
Anthony R. Fiorillo
Citizenship American
Alma mater University of Connecticut, University of Nebraska, University of Pennsylvania
Scientific career
Fields Paleontology
Institutions New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science
Author abbrev. (zoology) Tony Fiorillo

Anthony Ricardo Fiorillo is Executive Director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, as well as a senior fellow at the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man at Southern Methodist University. For many years he was vice president of research & collections and chief curator at the Perot Museum of Nature & Science. [1] [2] A native of Connecticut, he received his bachelor's at the University of Connecticut, his master's at the University of Nebraska and a Ph.D. in Vertebrate Paleontology from the University of Pennsylvania. [3]

Contents

Career

Dr. Fiorillo worked on his Rea Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and later as a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1995 he became a curator at the Dallas Museum of Natural History (now the Perot Museum of Nature and Science). He is currently the Executive Director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science [4] and works as an adjunct associate professor of Paleontology at Southern Methodist University. [2] He has worked with the National Park Service in several national park units including Big Bend National Park, Denali National Park, Aniakchak National Monument, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to identify, study and preserve dinosaur fossils found. In 2008, he was honored with a fellowship in the Geological Society of America., [2] [5] as well as becoming a Fellow of the Explorers Club in 2013. For his long-time commitment to dinosaur paleontology within the National Park units in Alaska, he was recognized by the international George Wright Society in 2019 with the prestigious Natural Resource Achievement Award.

Since 1998 the primary focus of his work has been on polar dinosaurs, and more specifically the ancient Arctic dinosaurs of Alaska. [6] [7] Of the four Alaskan dinosaurs that have names, Fiorillo has named two of them: Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum and Nanuqsaurus hoglundi, which he named in honor of major supporters of his former museum. [8] [9] P. perotorum is christened after the billionaire Ross Perot and his family. [8] [10] Although Perot is not necessarily connected to Alaska or paleontology, he has given generously to the Perot Museum, which also bears his name. [11] N. hoglundi is named for Forrest Hoglund, [9] a Texas oil millionaire [12] who has also donated generously. Fiorillo and his colleagues have unearthed new polar dinosaurs as well as obtained insights into the ancient polar climate during one of Earth's greenhouse modes. [13] [14] In addition to Alaska, his work has taken him to Japan, Mongolia, and South Korea to explore the ancient land bridge connection between Asia and North America during the Cretaceous, a geographic connection often referred to as Beringia. His travels also include Australia, Italy, Peru, and Bolivia in order to further his research. [1] He has published approximately 140 technical papers.

Below is a list of taxa that Fiorillo has contributed to naming:

YearTaxonAuthors
2024 Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis sp. nov.Dalman, Loewen, Pyron, Jasinski, Malinzak, Lucas, Fiorillo, Currie, & Longrich [15]
2019 Unnuakomys hutchisoni gen. et sp. nov.Eberle, Clemens, McCarthy, Fiorillo, Erickson, & Druckenmiller [16]
2018 Chupkaornis keraorum gen. et sp. nov.Tanaka, Kobayashi, Kurihara, Fiorillo, & Kano [17]
2014 Nanuqsaurus hoglundi gen. et sp. nov.Fiorillo & Tykoski [18]

Published work

Books

Anthony Fiorillo has collaborated on these books and volumes:

He has also written the following book:

Sample of other publications

Personal life

Dr. Fiorillo currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Related Research Articles

<i>Troodon</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Troodon is a former wastebasket taxon and a potentially dubious genus of relatively small, bird-like theropod dinosaurs definitively known from the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period. It includes at least one species, Troodon formosus, known from Montana. Discovered in October 1855, T. formosus was among the first dinosaurs found in North America, although it was thought to be a lizard until 1877. Several well-known troodontid specimens from the Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta were once believed to be members of this genus. However, recent analyses in 2017 have found this genus to be undiagnostic and referred some of these specimens to the genus Stenonychosaurus some to the genus Latenivenatrix, and some to the genus Pectinodon. The genus name is Ancient Greek for "wounding tooth", referring to the teeth, which were different from those of most other theropods known at the time of their discovery. The teeth bear prominent, apically oriented serrations. These "wounding" serrations, however, are morphometrically more similar to those of herbivorous reptiles, and suggest a possibly omnivorous diet.

<i>Placerias</i> Extinct genus of dicynodonts

Placerias is an extinct genus of dicynodonts that lived during the Carnian to the Norian age of the Triassic Period. Placerias belongs to a group of dicynodonts called Kannemeyeriiformes, which was the last known group of dicynodonts before the taxon became extinct at the end of the Triassic.

<i>Maiasaura</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Maiasaura is a large herbivorous saurolophine hadrosaurid ("duck-billed") dinosaur genus that lived in the area currently covered by the state of Montana and the Canadian province of Alberta. in the Upper Cretaceous Period, from 86.3 to 70.6 million years ago. Maiasaura peeblesorum is the state fossil of Montana.

<i>Pachyrhinosaurus</i> Ceratopsid dinosaur genus from Late Cretaceous US and Canada

Pachyrhinosaurus is an extinct genus of centrosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of North America. The first examples were discovered by Charles M. Sternberg in Alberta, Canada, in 1946, and named in 1950. Over a dozen partial skulls and a large assortment of other fossils from various species have been found in Alberta and Alaska. A great number were not available for study until the 1980s, resulting in a relatively recent increase of interest in Pachyrhinosaurus.

<i>Amurosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Amurosaurus is a genus of lambeosaurine hadrosaurid dinosaur found in the latest Cretaceous period of eastern Asia. Fossil bones of adults are rare, but an adult would most likely have been at least 6 metres (20 ft) long. According to Gregory S. Paul, it was about 8 metres (26 ft) long and weighed about 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb).

<i>Guanlong</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Guanlong (冠龍) is a genus of extinct proceratosaurid tyrannosauroid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of China. The taxon was first described in 2006 by Xu Xing et al., who found it to represent a new taxon related to Tyrannosaurus. The name is derived from Chinese, translating as "crown dragon". Two individuals are currently known, a partially complete adult and a nearly complete juvenile. These specimens come from the Oxfordian stage of the Chinese Shishugou Formation.

<i>Alaskacephale</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Alaskacephale is an extinct genus of pachycephalosaurid, a group of dome-headed, herbivorous ornithischian dinosaurs, that lived during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period in what is now northern Alaska The genus is one of the few known Arctic dinosaurs and was found in the Prince Creek Formation, which preserves a menagerie of fossils. The only known specimen, a squamosal bone, was found in 1999 and later described in 2005. However, Alaskacephale was not formally named until the next year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrannosaurinae</span> Extinct subfamily of dinosaurs

Tyrannosaurinae is one of the two extinct subfamilies of Tyrannosauridae, a family of coelurosaurian theropods that consists of at least three tribes and several genera. All fossils of these genera have been found in the Late Cretaceous deposits of western North America and east Asia. Compared to the related subfamily Albertosaurinae, tyrannosaurines overall are more robust and larger though the alioramins were gracile by comparison. This subfamily also includes Lythronax, one of the oldest known tyrannosaurid genera, as well as the youngest and most famous member of the group, Tyrannosaurus rex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tugulu Group</span> Geological Group in Xinjiang, China

The Tugulu Group is a geological Group in Xinjiang, China whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur skeletal remains and footprints are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javelina Formation</span> Geological formation in Texas, USA

The Javelina Formation is a geological formation in Texas. Dating has shown that the strata date to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous, approximately 70 to 66.5 million years old. The middle part of the formation has been dated to about 69 million years ago plus or minus 1 million years and the top situated near the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, dated to 66 Ma ago. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Creek Formation</span> Geological formation

The Prince Creek Formation is a geological formation in Alaska with strata dating to the Early Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

The Haman Formation is an Early Cretaceous geological formation in South Korea. It has been dated to the Albian, with an estimated maximum depositional age of 105.4 ± 0.4 Ma. The deposit is known for its tracks, including those of dinosaurs, pterosaurs and birds. It overlies the Silla Conglomerate which overlies the Chilgok Formation. It is laterally equivalent to the Sagog Formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laramidia</span> Island continent that existed until the end of the Late Cretaceous period

Laramidia was an island continent that existed during the Late Cretaceous period, when the Western Interior Seaway split the continent of North America in two. In the Mesozoic era, Laramidia was an island land mass separated from Appalachia to the east by the Western Interior Seaway. The seaway eventually shrank, split across the Dakotas, and retreated toward the Gulf of Mexico and the Hudson Bay. The masses joined, forming the continent of North America.

Deltapodus is an ichnogenus of footprint produced by a stegosaurian dinosaur According to the main Stegosauria article:

<i>Saurexallopus</i> Dinosaur footprint

Saurexallopus is an ichnogenus of four-toed theropod footprints from the Late Cretaceous period. The type ichnospecies is S. lovei, named and described in 1996 from the Harebell Formation. The taxon was originally named Exallopus, but later renamed as Saurexallopus as the former was preoccupied by a polychaete. A second species, S.zerbsti, was named and described in 2004 from the Lance Formation. In 2012 a four-toed track from the Cantwell Formation was referred to Saurexallopus indet. It was also suggested that Saurexallopus was produced by a therizinosaur taxon. In 2013 based on skeletal proportions it was suggested that the ichnotaxon was instead produced by an oviraptorosaur taxon. In 2014 a third species was named, S.cordata, from the Wapiti Formation. In 2018 several tracks from the Blackhawk Formation were referred to Saurexallopus indet.

<i>Nanuqsaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Nanuqsaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurine theropod dinosaur known from the Late Cretaceous period Prince Creek Formation of the North Slope of Alaska, having lived roughly 70-68 million years ago. It contains a single species, Nanuqsaurus hoglundi, known only from a partial skull and multiple undescribed postcranial and teeth elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of tyrannosaur research</span>

This timeline of tyrannosaur research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the tyrannosaurs, a group of predatory theropod dinosaurs that began as small, long-armed bird-like creatures with elaborate cranial ornamentation but achieved apex predator status during the Late Cretaceous as their arms shrank and body size expanded. Although formally trained scientists did not begin to study tyrannosaur fossils until the mid-19th century, these remains may have been discovered by Native Americans and interpreted through a mythological lens. The Montana Crow tradition about thunder birds with two claws on their feet may have been inspired by isolated tyrannosaurid forelimbs found locally. Other legends possibly inspired by tyrannosaur remains include Cheyenne stories about a mythical creature called the Ahke, and Delaware stories about smoking the bones of ancient monsters to have wishes granted.

The Mother's Day Quarry (MDQ) is a Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) fossil site in the Morrison Formation that is located at the base of the Pryor Mountains in Carbon County, Montana. The site was first discovered by the Museum of the Rockies in 1994 and has produced over 2,500 elements since its discovery. Apart from approximately 12 theropod teeth, stegosaur limb material, and two conchostracans found at the site, these elements almost exclusively belong to specimens of the sauropod dinosaur Diplodocus sp. This deposit of fossils is thought to be the result of an age-segregated herd of these dinosaurs congregating at a limited water source and eventually succumbing to drought conditions.

Celina A. Suarez is an American geologist. She is known for her research on using trace element and stable isotope geochemistry of fossil vertebrates and invertebrates to understand paleoecology, paleoclimatology, and taphonomy of ancient terrestrial ecosystems. She is an associate profession in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arkansas. The dinosaur Geminiraptor suarezarum is named after Suarez and her twin sister, Marnia Suarez, co-discovers of the site on which it was found.

<i>Asiatyrannus</i> Genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs

Asiatyrannus is an extinct genus of tyrannosaurine theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of China. The genus contains a single species, A. xui, known from a single specimen consisting of a skull and partial postcranial skeleton. Asiatyrannus is notable for its deep-snouted skull and small body size, in contrast to the gracile snout and larger size of the contemporary Qianzhousaurus. It represents the southernmost record of an Asian tyrannosaurid.

References

  1. 1 2 Marino, Katharina (December 31, 2012). "Paleontologist puts passion for fossils to use as curator at Perot Museum". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Scientists". The Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  3. "Anthony Fiorello - Dedman College - SMU". Southern Methodist University. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  4. "Anthony R. Fiorillo, Ph. D. named executive director of New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque :: Department of Cultural Affairs Media Center :: Press Releases". media.newmexicoculture.org. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  5. The Geological Society of America. "All Active and Current GSA Fellows". Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2013-11-16.
  6. Dunham, Mike (August 25, 2012). "Alaskans - extinct and not - included in new Dallas museum". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  7. Wheeler, Jason (July 22, 2014). "Museum team races to make Alaska dinosaur discoveries". USA Today. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Tykoski, Ronald S. (September 2012). "A New Maastrichtian Species of the Centrosaurine CeratopsidPachyrhinosaurusfrom the North Slope of Alaska". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 57 (3): 561–573. doi: 10.4202/app.2011.0033 . ISSN   0567-7920.
  9. 1 2 Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Tykoski, Ronald S. (2014-03-12). "A Diminutive New Tyrannosaur from the Top of the World". PLOS ONE. 9 (3): e91287. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...991287F. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091287 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3951350 . PMID   24621577.
  10. "Perot Museum of Nature and Science". Perot Museum Paleontologists Discover New Dinosaur Species | Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Retrieved 2018-12-13.
  11. "New Dallas science museum named for Ross Perot". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2018-12-13.
  12. "Forrest E. Hoglund". Reasoning Mind. Retrieved 2018-12-13.
  13. Townsend, Lori (September 3, 2012). "Footprint Sheds More Light On Prehistoric Alaska;". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  14. Martin, Justin (August 7, 2014). "Footprints Suggest Duck-Billed Dinosaurs Thrived In Polar Ecosystem". KERA News. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  15. Dalman, Sebastian G.; Loewen, Mark A.; Pyron, R. Alexander; Jasinski, Steven E.; Malinzak, D. Edward; Lucas, Spencer G.; Fiorillo, Anthony Ricardo; Currie, Philip John; Longrich, Nicholas R. (11 January 2024). "A giant tyrannosaur from the Campanian–Maastrichtian of southern North America and the evolution of tyrannosaurid gigantism". Scientific Reports . 14 (1): 22124. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47011-0. ISSN   2045-2322 . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  16. Eberle, Jaelyn J.; Clemens, William A.; McCarthy, Paul J.; Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Erickson, Gregory M.; Druckenmiller, Patrick S. (2 November 2019). "Northernmost record of the Metatheria: a new Late Cretaceous pediomyid from the North Slope of Alaska". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 17 (21): 1805–1824. doi:10.1080/14772019.2018.1560369. ISSN   1477-2019 . Retrieved 2 January 2025 via Taylor and Francis Online.
  17. Tanaka, Tomonori; Kobayashi, Yoshitsugu; Kurihara, Ken'ichi; Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Kano, Manabu (21 June 2018). "The oldest Asian hesperornithiform from the Upper Cretaceous of Japan, and the phylogenetic reassessment of Hesperornithiformes". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 16 (8): 689–709. doi:10.1080/14772019.2017.1341960. ISSN   1477-2019 . Retrieved 2 January 2025 via Taylor and Francis Online.
  18. Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Tykoski, Ronald S. (12 March 2014). Dodson, Peter (ed.). "A Diminutive New Tyrannosaur from the Top of the World". PLoS ONE . 9 (3): e91287. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...991287F. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091287 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3951350 . PMID   24621577.