| Antonin Fritsch | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 30, 1832 |
| Died | November 15, 1913 |
| Nationality | Czech |
| Fields | paleontology |
| Institutions | Charles University, National Museum in Prague |
| Known for | contributions on the field of permo-carboniferous ecosystems |
Antonin Fritsch (Czech: Antonín Jan Frič, June 30, 1832, Prague – November 15, 1913, Prague) was a Czech paleontologist, biologist and geologist, living during the Austria–Hungary era. Professor at the Charles University and later became director of the National Museum in Prague. He became famous for his contributions on the field of Permo - Carboniferous ecosystems.
He also became known for finding fossils once attributed to dinosaurs - Albisaurus scutifer and Procerosaurus exogyrarum and so far the only pterosaur known from the Czech Republic, Ornithocheirus? hlavatschi (found in 1880 near Choceň, originally described by Frič as Cretornis hlavatschi). The pterosaur was small with a wingspan of about 1,5m and lived in Turonian.
The first true dinosaur known from the Czech Republic was discovered 90 years after Frič's death (in 2003). It is a small iguanodontid of Cenomanian age.