Scott A. Thomson is an Australian
herpetologist
Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...
,
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 ...
, and
taxonomist
In biology, taxonomy () is the science, scientific study of naming, defining (Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxon, taxa (si ...
, specialising in turtles of the family
Chelidae
Chelidae is one of three living families of the turtle suborder Pleurodira, and are commonly called Austro-South American side-neck turtles. The family is distributed in Australia, New Guinea, parts of Indonesia, and throughout most of South Amer ...
.
Education
Thomson attended the
University of Canberra
The University of Canberra (UC) is a public university, public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is from Belconnen Town Centre, and from Canberra's Civic, Australian ...
for both his bachelor's and master's degrees in applied sciences, studying
zoology
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
and
mathematics
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
.
Career
Thomson is a researcher at the
Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo
The Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo (, abbreviated MZUSP) is a public natural history museum located in the historic Ipiranga (district of São Paulo), Ipiranga district of São Paulo, Brazil. The MZUSP is an Museum education, ...
and curator at the
Chelonian Research Institute
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked turtles), ...
in
Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo ( ) is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. As of 2020, the population was 40,059. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Oviedo was known for its historic houses and buildings and a ...
.
He is active in resolving nomenclatural issues, a member of the Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group of the
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...
's Species Survival Commission, and co-author of the 2015 checklist of
extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
and
Holocene
The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...
turtles.
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
turtles, including:Elseya albagula
''Elseya albagula'', commonly known as the white-throated snapping turtle, is one of the largest species of chelid turtles in the world, growing to about carapace length.
The species is endemic to south-eastern Queensland, Australia, in the B ...
'' Thomson, Georges, and Limpus 2006 – white-throated snapping turtle, southern snapping turtle
* '' Elseya flaviventralis'' Thomson and Georges 2016 – yellow-bellied snapping turtle
* †'' Elseya nadibajagu'' Thomson and Mackness 1999 – ancient snapping turtle
* '' Elseya rhodini'' Thomson et al. 2015 – southern New Guinea stream turtle, Rhodin's stream turtle
* ''Myuchelys
The ''Myuchelys'' is a genus of turtles, the Australian saw-shelled turtles, in the family Chelidae and subfamily Chelodininae. They inhabit the headwaters and tributaries of rivers within their range and this led to the name ''Myuchelys'', whic ...
'' Thomson and Georges 2009
* †''Rheodytes devisi
''Rheodytes devisi'' is a Pleistocene fossil turtle from the Darling Downs of Queensland, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continen ...
'' Thomson 2000 – DeVis' river diver
References
External links
Thomson's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Scott A.
Living people
Australian taxonomists
Australian herpetologists
Australian paleontologists
1966 births