Gregory S. Paul (born 1954) is a freelance paleontologist, author and illustrator. He is best known for his work and research on theropod dinosaurs, and his detailed illustrations, both live and skeletal.
Illustrations[]
Paul helped pioneer the "new look" of dinosaurs started by Bob Bakker. He was among the first professional artists to depict them as active, warm-blooded and — in the case of the small ones — feathered.
Many later dinosaur illustrations are a reflection of his anatomical insights or even a direct imitation of his style. The fact that he also works closely with paleontologists lead many to regard his images as a sort of scientific standard to be followed; this tendency is stimulated by his habit of constantly redrawing older work to let it reflect the latest finds and theories. Much of it is in black-and-white; in ink, crayon or pencil. Even one of his scientific critics, Storrs L. Olson, described him in a review in the Scientific American as "a superior artist".
Writing[]
Paleontology[]
Aside from many scientific articles, Paul has written two books on paleontology, both lavishly illustrated by the author himself:
- Predatory Dinosaurs of the World (1988, ISBN 0-671-61946-2): Aimed at a popular audience.[1]
- Dinosaurs of the Air (2002, ISBN 0-8018-6763-0): Quite scholarly, the book puts forth the hypothesis that some theropods, especially maniraptors like the Velociraptor, were descended from flying dinosaurs who later lost the ability to fly.
Named dinosaurs[]
Paul has named the dinosaurs:
- Acrocanthosaurus altispinax
- Albertosaurus megagracilis
- Aublysodon molnari
- Avisaurus archibaldi (with Brett-Surman; a bird)
- Brachiosaurus (Giraffatitan) brancai (a sub-genus)
- Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis
- Potamornis skutchi (with Elzanowski & Stidham; a bird)
- Dollodon bampingi
- Dakotadon lakotaensis
The first three of these are now commonly assigned to other genera.
The theropod Cryptovolans pauli is named after him in recognition of his (presumed correct) predictions about feathered and flying dinosaurs.
Footnotes[]
- ^ Paul, Gregory S. (1988). Predatory Dinosaurs of the World. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-61946-2.
References[]
- Jensen, G. F. (2006). "Religious Cosmologies and Homicide Rates among Nations" (PDF). Journal of Religion & Society 8: 1–14. ISSN 1522-5658. http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/pdf/2006-7.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
- Paul, G. S. (2005). "Cross-National Correlations of Quantifiable Societal Health with Popularity Religiosity and Secularism in the Prosperous Democracies" (PDF). Journal of Religion & Society 7: 1–17. ISSN 1522-5658. http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/pdf/2005-11.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
- Paul, G.S. (2002). Dinosaurs of the Air: The Evolution and Loss of Flight in Dinosaurs and Birds. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.