Paul Sereno - Paleontologist | The University of Chicago

Unearthing Africa’s giants — and an ancient calamity

TCHINEKANKARAM, NIGER — One mile long, rising as barren rock no more than 10 feet above a parched plain of patchy grass and thorny acacia, is an area known as Tchinekankaran (chin-kan-karan), or “place of insects” in Tamasheq, the language of Tuareg nomads. True to its name, voracious scorpions wind spiders and praying mantises dueled under our camp lights, but we came for the sea of fossil bones peeking from rocks nearby. Read More
Exploring Gadoufaoua, known as ‘the place where camels fear to go’

Dispatch No. 2 Live from the Field:

Petrified tree trunks jut from the desert floor, and fossil jaws and bones of nameless beasts peek out from a barren landscape. Nomad legend describes it as “The place where camels fear to go.” Called Gadoufaoua (Ga-doo-fawa) by French geologists who visited in the 1950s, this 100-mile stretch of the Sahara comprises the richest dinosaur beds on the continent. Read More.
Launching a sojourn to uncover Africa’s past — but first a wait in Agadez

AGADEZ, NIGER — Before COVID-19 shut down travel, I led expeditions that discovered some 25 tons of rare fossils scattered across the Sahara Desert, in remote areas of the West African country of Niger.
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Africa’s Lost World: 2022 Expedition to Niger

For 3 months this Fall, Paul and his team of 20 will excavate some 25 tons of dinosaurs and ancient humans in the heart of the Sahara, a feat never before attempted. These fossils add to Africa’s world-class heritage.

Read more at the Chicago Tribune!

Learn more about the 2022 Expedition.

Check back soon for dispatches from the field!
Breaking News in the Washington Post

NIAMEY, Niger — In secret patches of the south-central Sahara, blankets of sand hide 20 tons of dinosaur bones.

There are flying reptiles. A creature that resembles an armored dog. Eleven species yet to be identified — all with long necks. They roamed the desert when it was still green, scientists concluded, as far back as 200 million years ago.
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Geology and paleontology of the Upper Cretaceous Kem Kem Group of eastern Morocco

Predators abound on land, in the air and in water some 95 million years on the shores of northern Africa —as shown by the abundant fossils in the Kem Kem region. Large herbivores, such as the long-necked sauropod Rebbachisaurus, could have been hunted or scavenged by several large predators. Artwork by Davide Bonadonna.

https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/47517/
Spinosaurus Revealed

New fossils of the huge Cretaceous-era predator, Spinosaurus, reveal it adapted to life in water some 95 million years ago, providing the most compelling evidence to date of a dinosaur able to live and hunt in an aquatic environment. An international team based at the University of Chicago built a CT-based digital model of the 50-foot long dinosaur to understand its anatomy and capabilities.
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Skeletons of the Sahara

“More than 100 human burials lay before me” stammered Paul Sereno, paleontologist at the University of Chicago and Explorer-in-Residence at National Geographic.

Sereno had just discovered the Sahara’s largest graveyard—hundreds of burials older than the pyramids.

Read more about Skeletons of the Sahara on PBS or get your own copy!
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Chicago Humanitites Festival 2013

Sereno kicks off the Festival's Hyde Park Day with an illustrated discussion of the latest findings in his field, in a program appropriate for both children and adults.
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Sereno Fossil Lab

Paul Sereno's Fossil Lab is located at the University of Chicago in Hyde Park. It is comprised of a prep lab, fossil storage areas, teaching space, molding and casting room, bug room, and houses part of the University of Chicago Research Collection.
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Google Science Fair

Paul Sereno participates in Google Science Fair 2013 in a Hangout On Air answering questions about his discoveries and what it is like to be a paleontologist.
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National Geographic Live!

Go behind the scenes and hear National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Paul Sereno talk about his decision to become a paleontologist and his most memorable discoveries.
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Extreme Dinosaurs

National Geographic Live! Extreme Dinosaurs

Hear about one of the most bizarre dinosaurs ever uncovered from its discoverer, acclaimed paleontologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Paul Sereno.
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TEDxUChicago

Paul Sereno teaches the world about its evolutionary past through what he calls "adventure with a purpose." His travels have brought him to discover important links in the evolution of life on earth such as his discovery of the world's largest crocodile.
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Eodromaeus

Paul Sereno talks about Eodromaeus the "Dawn Runner"
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UChicago Convocation

"Historical Contingency and Ultimate Aims"

by Paul C. Sereno - Spring 2010 Convocation
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Raptorex

Paul Sereno describes Raptorex - a new dinosaur that show how the body plan of Tyrannosaurus rex evolved at 1/100th the size.
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TED Talk with Paul

What can fossils teach us?

Strange landscapes, scorching heat and (sometimes) mad crocodiles await scientists seeking clues to evolution's genius. Paleontologist Paul Sereno talks about his surprising encounters with prehistory -- and a new way to help students join the adventure.
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Super Croc

Dr. Paul Sereno posing with the skull of Sarcosuchus imperator. This amazing 40 foot long crocodile was the subject of the National Geographic film 'When Crocs Ate Dinosaurs.'

Nicknamed “SuperCroc,” the animal is believed to have reached 40 feet (12 meters) in length—the length of a city bus—making it one of the largest crocs that ever lived. SuperCroc lived alongside dinosaurs, perhaps feasting on them.
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