José Bonaparte

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For the historical figure, see Joseph Bonaparte

José Fernando Bonaparte, Ph.D. (b. 1928), is an Argentine paleontologist who discovered a plethora of South American dinosaurs and mentored a whole new generation of Argentine paleontologists like Rodolfo Coria.

He was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, and is affiliated with the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences in Buenos Aires.

[edit] Discoveries

The dinosaurs he discovered evolved on the southern supercontinent of Gondwana in the Mesozoic era, and are strange when compared to their northern, Laurasian relatives, and even more gigantic.

Abelisaurus comahuensis (1985, with Novas), a carnivorous theropod, like the Allosaurus.
Agustinia ligabuei (1998, formerly Augustia), a sauropod like the Brachiosaurus with spinal plates like the Stegosaurus
Alvarezsaurus calvoi (1991), the original and most primitive member of the hard-to-classify bird-like alvarezsaurids.
Amargasaurus cazaui (1991, with Salgado), a diplodocid like the Diplodocus, with spines (and a sail?) running down its back.
Andesaurus delgadoi (1991, with Calvo), a titanosaurid and one of the largest dinosaurs.
Argentinosaurus huinculensis (1993, with Coria), a titanosaurid and the largest dinosaur known.
Argyrosaurus superbus (1984), a titanosaurid and one of the largest dinosaurs.
Carnotaurus sastrei (1985), a bull-headed ceratosaurian carnivore.
Coloradisaurus brevis (1978, formerly Coloradia), an early (Triassic) sauropodomorph.
Guaibasaurus candelariensis (1998, with Ferigolo), a primitive theropod.
Kritosaurus australis (1984, with Frenchi, Powell and Sepúlveda), the most well known South American duck-bill.
Lapparentosaurus madagascariensis (1986), a sauropod.
Ligabueino andesi (1996), a ceratosaurian with a Deinonychus-like rear claw.
Mussaurus patagonicus (1979, with Vince), an early (Triassic) sauropodomorph known only from eggs and tiny baby skulls.
Noasaurus leali (1980, with Powell), another ceratosaurian with a Deinonychus-like hind claw.
Piatnitzkysaurus floresi (1979), a tetanuran theropod.
Pterodaustro (1970), a pterosaur.
Rayososaurus agrioensis (1996), a rebbachisaurid sauropod.
Riojasaurus incertus (1969), an early (Triassic) sauropodomorph.
Saltasaurus loricatus (1980, with Powell), an armored titanosaurid.
Velocisaurus unicus (1991), a ceratosaurian built for speed.
Volkheimeria chubutensis (1979), a sauropod.

Bonaparte also discovered or described a number of archosaurs and primitive birds (such as Iberomesornis), and assisted with the study of other dinosaurs, like the Giganotosaurus carolinii.