I am a vertebrate palaeontologist, researcher with Naturalis, and professor of vertebrate palaeontology at Utrecht University. I am also honorary curator of palaeontology at Teylers Museum in Haarlem.
My research focuses mainly on tetrapods from the Age of Dinosaurs; I have a particular interest in dinosaurs, mosasaurs and fossil trackways. I currently work on T. rex, Triceratops, and the Morrison Formation of North America, on the Triassic fauna of Winterswijk (the Netherlands), and on mosasaurs from Angola. The application of new technologies, and particularly cross-pollinations from other fields in science have my special interest.
Public engagement and exhibition development are very close to my heart. In recent years I was responsible for the content development of the new dinosaur and human evolution galleries at Naturalis, and, more recently, the temporary exhibition on the Triceratops herd.
Researchinterest
“Trying to bring back fossils to life.”
I am currently working on:
- the Late Cretaceous mosasaur fauna of Angola
- Triceratops from Wyoming, USA
- Tyrannosaurus rex from Montana, USA
- and -closer to home- fossils from the Triassic of Winterswijk and the Cretaceous of Maastricht.
Publications
PhDsupervision
In the summer of 2019, Jimmy de Rooij started his PhD on the ontogeny of Triceratops.
Triceratops: Jimmy de Rooij
Teachingactivities
- Universiteit Utrecht: BSc and MSc course Paleontology
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: HOVO-course 'Dinosaurussen'
- Universiteit Maastricht/Hogeschool Zuyd: guest lectures in Masters' of Scientific Illustration
- Universiteit Leiden: HOVO-course 'Dinosaurussen'