Riley Black

Last updated
Riley Black
Alma mater Rutgers University
Occupation(s) paleontologist and science writer
Known forauthor of natural history books and articles

Riley Black (formerly Brian Switek) is an American paleontologist and science writer. [1] [2] She is the author of natural history books such as The Last Days of the Dinosaurs , Skeleton Keys and My Beloved Brontosaurus.

Biography

Black studied Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Rutgers University. [3] [4]

Her books include The Last Days of the Dinosaurs , Skeleton Keys and My Beloved Brontosaurus. [5] Black was hired as "resident paleontologist" for the 2015 film Jurassic World . [6] She also starred in the 2022 documentaries Alaskan Dinosaurs and Dinosaur Apocalypse. [6]

Black previously wrote under the name Brian Switek. [7] In 2019, she came out publicly as transgender and non-binary and started hormone replacement therapy. [1] [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Apatosaurus</i> Sauropod dinosaur genus from Late Jurassic period

Apatosaurus is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period. Othniel Charles Marsh described and named the first-known species, A. ajax, in 1877, and a second species, A. louisae, was discovered and named by William H. Holland in 1916. Apatosaurus lived about 152 to 151 million years ago (mya), during the late Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian age, and are now known from fossils in the Morrison Formation of modern-day Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah in the United States. Apatosaurus had an average length of 21–23 m (69–75 ft), and an average mass of 16.4–22.4 t. A few specimens indicate a maximum length of 11–30% greater than average and a mass of approximately 33 t.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Othniel Charles Marsh</span> American paleontologist (1831–1899)

Othniel Charles Marsh was an American professor of Paleontology in Yale College and President of the National Academy of Sciences. He was one of the preeminent scientists in the field of paleontology. Among his legacies are the discovery or description of dozens of new species and theories on the origins of birds.

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<i>Tyrannosaurus</i> in popular culture

Tyrannosaurus rex is unique among dinosaurs in its place in modern culture; paleontologist Robert Bakker has called it "the most popular dinosaur among people of all ages, all cultures, and all nationalities". Paleontologists Mark Norell and Lowell Dingus have likewise called it "the most famous dinosaur of all times." Paleoartist Gregory S. Paul has called it "the theropod. [...] This is the public's favorite dinosaur [...] Even the formations it is found in have fantastic names like Hell Creek and Lance." Other paleontologists agree with that and note that whenever a museum erects a new skeleton or bring in an animatronic model, visitor numbers go up. "Jurassic Park and King Kong would not have been the same without it." In the public mind, T. rex sets the standard of what a dinosaur should be. Science writer Riley Black similarly states, "In all of prehistory, there is no animal that commands our attention quite like Tyrannosaurus rex, the king of the tyrant lizards. Since the time this dinosaur was officially named in 1905, the enormous carnivore has stood as the ultimate dinosaur."

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Apatosaurinae is a subfamily of diplodocid sauropods, an extinct group of large, quadrupedal dinosaurs, the other subfamily in Diplodocidae being Diplodocinae. Apatosaurines are distinguished by their more robust, stocky builds and shorter necks proportionally to the rest of their bodies. Several fairly complete specimens are known, giving a comprehensive view of apatosaurine anatomy.

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

Albertonykus is an alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the Maastrichtian-age rocks of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta, Canada. It is known from forelimb and hindlimb remains from multiple individuals. All but two of the specimens come from a bonebed dominated by Albertosaurus, located at the top of Unit 4 of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation, dating to ~68.5 million years ago.

<i>Dinosaur!</i> (1985 film) 1985 American TV series or program

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<i>Dinosaur Revolution</i> 2011 American TV series or program

Dinosaur Revolution is a four-part American nature documentary produced by Creative Differences. It utilizes computer-generated imagery to portray dinosaurs and other animals from the Mesozoic era. The program was originally aired on the Discovery Channel and Science.

<i>Dinosaur Wars</i> (film) 2011 American TV series or program

Dinosaur Wars is a documentary film created by PBS as an episode for American Experience. The video details the rivalry between Edward Cope and O. C. Marsh. Cope and Marsh were paleontologists who uncovered dinosaur fossils in the late 19th century. PBS broadcast the episode on January 17, 2011. PBS later posted the video online in July 2011. The episode has been covered in online articles posted by Technorati and Wired.

Bolortsetseg Minjin is a Mongolian paleontologist known for her work in fossil repatriation and dinosaur-themed science outreach. She is a recipient of the WINGS WorldQuest Women of Discovery Award for Earth, National Geographic Explorer, and TEDx speaker. She is the founder of the Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Douglass</span> American paleontologist

Earl Douglass was an American paleontologist who discovered the dinosaur Apatosaurus, playing a central role in one of the most important fossil finds in North America. By 1922 Earl had unearthed and shipped more than 700,000 pounds of material including nearly 20 complete skeletons of Jurassic dinosaurs such as Diplodocus, Dryosaurus, Stegosaurus, Barosaurus, Camarasaurus and Brontosaurus.

Victoria Megan Arbour is a Canadian evolutionary biologist and vertebrate palaeontologist at Royal BC Museum, where she is Curator of Palaeontology. An "expert on the armoured dinosaurs known as ankylosaurs", Arbour analyzes fossils and creates 3-D computer models. She named the possible pterosaur Gwawinapterus from Hornby Island, and a partial ornithischian dinosaur from Sustut Basin, British Columbia, and has participated in the naming of the ankylosaurs Zuul, Zaraapelta, Crichtonpelta, and Ziapelta.

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References

  1. 1 2 Black, Riley (2019). "Queer voices in palaeontology". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02113-6. PMID   32620880 . Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  2. "Articles by Riley Black from Smithsonian Magazine". Smithsonian Magazine.
  3. "Riley Black". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  4. "Riley Black — Museum of the Earth". Museum of the Earth. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  5. "Riley Black". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 "About Riley". Riley Black. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  7. "My Own Personal Extinction". Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  8. "Riley Black". Geobiology & Geomicrobiology Division. Retrieved 1 June 2024.