Perfil

Philippe Taquet is a French paleontologist and Professor Emeritus at the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN) in Paris, renowned for his work on Mesozoic vertebrates, particularly dinosaurs from northern Africa. He earned his doctorate in Natural Sciences in 1973 and had a distinguished career with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and MNHN, where he held the Chair of Paleontology from 1981 and became Full Professor in 2003 and Professor Emeritus in 2010. He also directed the MNHN Paleontology Laboratory (1981–2000) and the CNRS Research Unit on Paleoanatomy, Phylogeny, and Paleogeography.

Taquet’s fieldwork, particularly in Niger, led to the discovery and description of important dinosaur species such as Ouranosaurus nigeriensis (1976) and the giant crocodilian Sarcosuchus imperator. His research significantly contributed to the understanding of Early Cretaceous paleogeography and continental drift, notably between western Africa and Brazil. He collaborated with museums and institutions across Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 2004, Taquet served as its vice-president (2011–2012) and president (2013–2014). He is also a Honorary Member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2001) and Foreign Associate Member of the Moroccan Academy of Sciences (2008). He has chaired the International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences since 2004 and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco since 2017. He received the Sue Tyler Friedman Medal of the Geological Society of London (2009) and is Chevalier de l’Order de la Légion d’Honneur (1990), and Officier de l’ Ordre National du Mérite (2001).

He is also a prolific author, with notable publications on dinosaurs and the history of science including the books L’empreinte des Dinosaures (1994), Dinosaur Impressions: Postcards from a Paleontologist (1988), and a comprehensive biography of Georges Cuvier (Georges Cuvier. Naissance d’un génie) (2006).