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David Gillette is an American
Gillette found eight huge bones of the ''Diplodocus'' in northwestern
David Gillette is an American paleontologist
Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of foss ...
best known for his discovery of the dinosaur ''Diplodocus hallorum
''Diplodocus'' (, , or ) was a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs, whose fossils were first discovered in 1877 by S. W. Williston. The generic name, coined by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878, is a neo-Latin term derived from Greek διπλ ...
'' in 1985, and more recently for his work studying Pleistocene megafauna such as glyptodont
Glyptodonts are an extinct subfamily of large, heavily armoured armadillos. They arose in South America around 48 million years ago and spread to southern North America after the continents became connected several million years ago. The best-k ...
s. At the time of its discovery, ''Diplodocus hallorum'' was the longest dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
known.
Discoveries
Gillette found eight huge bones of the ''Diplodocus'' in northwestern New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex
, Offi ...
in May 1985. Gillette began comparing the dinosaur bone
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
s he found to those of other dinosaurs. Gillette presented his conclusions in a press conference
A press conference or news conference is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicians, corporations, non-governmental or ...
at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology He gave the new dinosaur the name ''Seismosaurus halli'', or "earth shaker." In 1993, Gillette published his book, ''Seismosaurus: The Earth Shaker'', about his discovery. It was published by Columbia University Press and illustrated by Mark Hallett. The book was re-printed in paperback in 1999.
''Seismosaurus'' was later re-categorized as a new species of ''Diplodocus'', and renamed ''Diplodocus hallorum'': while the specimen Gillette described was indeed of a novel species, it belonged to the existing Diplodocus genus rather than a previously undiscovered group.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillette, David American paleontologists Living people Year of birth missing (living people)