‘Dinosaur Hunter’ lives the dream
From Tom Sawyer to Dinosaur Hunter, Paul Sereno has seen more of the world and its history than most people could ever dream.
Sereno, dubbed the “Dinosaur Hunter” because of his role in paleontology, was the guest speaker Tuesday at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha. He was the second of three guest lecturers in the Omaha Performing Arts’ “National Geographic Live” series.
Sereno, a University of Chicago professor, has discovered eight dinosaur species on five continents. He has also named more than 20 dinosaurs.
Growing up in Naperville, IL, Sereno admitted he was a slow learner as a child. He struggled to read as a young student.
A teacher cast him as Tom Sawyer in an elementary school play. He said he could relate with the character.
As he matured, he gained an interest in learning. His interest in science grew when his dad gave him a butterfly collecting set.
He long had an interest in art, and thought he’d be an artist when he enrolled at Northern Illinois University.
Eventually, he developed an interest in dinosaurs.
He wasn’t sure how he could make his interests in art and anatomy work. But, then, he visited a museum. The rest is history.
He realized he could use his art skills to work in the paleontology world. He has designed what dinosaurs likely looked like based on the skeleton.
He made a major find when his dig team found the jaws of a crocodile.
The Niger discovery led to the discovery of Sarcosuchus Imperator. It’s more commonly known as “SuperCroc.”
Through additional research, including capturing and sitting on a live 14-foot crocodile, Sereno and team were able to determine the “SuperCroc” was 40 feet long. Can you imagine? The photo of the model they created sent chills down my spine. I wouldn’t want to come across it in the bayou.
In Argentina, Sereno discovered Eodromeaus (“Dawn Runner”). The six-foot dinosaur resembles a common ancestor for all dinosaurs, he believes.
Also in Argentina, his team identified a 3-foot raptor. Eoraptor is more than 230 million years old.
He also discovered a community of people, dating back 6,000-9,000 years old. He found a mother and two children (likely 8 and about 3) in the Sahara. They were buried together after being positioned (out of respect), and gifts included for the afterlife (including arrow heads). The ensuing dig discovered hundreds of more remains and artifacts.
With this, it has been determined the Sahara was once a thriving area, with water, trees, and animals, he said.
As I sat and viewed the photos he shared with the nearly sold out audience, I imagined how much fun it would be to tag along on a dig and photograph it.
Sereno has been to some fantastic regions in the world – the Sahara in Africa, Argentina, among his stops.
All in all, you can tell he is a guy who loves what he does. It beats “sitting in an office hating your job,” Sereno said.
This summer, he will take a new batch of grad students to a North American dig in Wyoming. He enjoys digging in the state.
Sereno’s presentation was informative. He definitely came across as a professor. He was humorous when necessary and to the point on what he wanted to discuss.
Following his presentation, the professor answered questions from the audience for more than 45 minutes.
It was an interesting visit from a famous dinosaur hunter.
The speaker series concludes April 22nd, when Omaha native Kobe Boykins from NASA discusses the exploration of Mars. Tickets are available from the Omaha Performing Arts Foundation, at www.TicketsOmaha.com.
