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David Gillette (March 20, 1946 – February 10, 2025) was an American
Gillette found eight huge bones of the ''Diplodocus'' in northwestern
David Gillette (March 20, 1946 – February 10, 2025) was an American paleontologist
Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...
best known for his discovery of the dinosaur ''Diplodocus hallorum
''Diplodocus'' (, , or ) is an extinct genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs known from the Late Jurassic of North America. The first fossils of ''Diplodocus'' were discovered in 1877 by S. W. Williston. The generic name, coined by Othniel ...
'' in 1985, and more recently for his work studying Pleistocene megafauna such as glyptodont
Glyptodonts are an extinct clade of large, heavily armoured armadillos, reaching up to in height, and maximum body masses of around 2 tonnes. They had short, deep skulls, a fused vertebral column, and a large bony carapace made up of hundreds o ...
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 Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
known.
Discoveries
Gillette found eight huge bones of the ''Diplodocus'' in northwestern New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
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, ...
s he found to those of other dinosaurs. Gillette presented his conclusions in a press conference
A press conference, also called news conference or press briefing, is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalism, journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicia ...
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.
Death
Gillette died on February 10, 2025, at the age of 78.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillette, David 1946 births 2025 deaths American paleontologists