Larry Dean Martin (December 8, 1943 – March 9, 2013) was an American vertebrate
paleontologist and
curator
A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...
of the Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center at the
University of Kansas.
Among Martin's work is research on the
Triassic
The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized 🝈) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is t ...
reptile ''
Longisquama'' and
theropod 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 ...
(or fossil bird) ''
Caudipteryx'' and ''
Dakotaraptor''. According to the University of Kansas, he "has been a leading opponent of the theory that birds are 'living dinosaurs.'" Later he acknowledged a correlation and further contributed.
He has also appeared in a few television documentaries about dinosaurs, including ''
Jurassic Fight Club''.
He died of cancer at the age of 69 on March 9, 2013, after a long battle with the disease.
References
External links
KU paleontologist to lecture on 4-winged wonder and feathered dinosaurs (Kansas University press release)Kansas University Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research CenterUniversity of Kansas Departmental Profile
1943 births
2013 deaths
Deaths from cancer
American paleontologists
American ornithologists
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