Philip J. Currie
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Philip John Currie (born March 13, 1949) is a
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
palaeontologist 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 fossi ...
and
museum curator A curator (from la, cura, 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 parti ...
who helped found the
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (RTMP, and often referred to as the Royal Tyrrell Museum) is a palaeontology museum and research facility in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. The museum was named in honour of Joseph Burr Tyrrell, and is sit ...
in
Drumheller Drumheller is a town on the Red Deer River in the badlands of Central Alberta, east-central Alberta, Canada. It is northeast of Calgary and south of Stettler, Alberta, Stettler. The Drumheller portion of the Red Deer River valley, often ref ...
, Alberta and is now a
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
at the
University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...
in
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
. In the 1980s, he became the director of the Canada-China Dinosaur Project, the first cooperative palaeontological partnering between
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and the West since the Central Asiatic Expeditions in the 1920s, and helped describe some of the first
feathered dinosaurs A feathered dinosaur is any species of dinosaur possessing feathers. While this includes all species of birds, there is a hypothesis that many, if not all non-avian dinosaur species also possessed feathers in some shape or form. It has been s ...
. He is one of the primary editors of the influential ''Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs'', and his areas of expertise include
theropod Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally c ...
s (especially
Tyrannosauridae Tyrannosauridae (or tyrannosaurids, meaning "tyrant lizards") is a family of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs that comprises two subfamilies containing up to thirteen genera, including the eponymous ''Tyrannosaurus''. The exact number of genera ...
), the
origin of birds The scientific question of within which larger group of animals evolution of birds, birds evolved has traditionally been called the "origin of birds". The present scientific consensus is that birds are a group of maniraptoran Theropoda, theropod ...
, and dinosaurian migration patterns and herding behavior. He was one of the models for palaeontologist Alan Grant in the film ''
Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...
''.


Biography

Currie received his
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
degree from the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
in 1972, a
Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
degree from
McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
in 1975, and a
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
(PhD) degree in
biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
(with distinction) from the same institution in 1981. His master's and PhD theses were on
synapsid Synapsids + (, 'arch') > () "having a fused arch"; synonymous with ''theropsids'' (Greek, "beast-face") are one of the two major groups of animals that evolved from basal amniotes, the other being the sauropsids, the group that includes reptil ...
s and early aquatic
diapsid Diapsids ("two arches") are a clade of sauropsids, distinguished from more primitive eureptiles by the presence of two holes, known as temporal fenestrae, in each side of their skulls. The group first appeared about three hundred million years ago ...
s respectively. Currie became
curator A curator (from la, cura, 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 parti ...
of
earth science Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres ...
at the
Provincial Museum of Alberta The Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) is a museum of human and natural history in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The museum is located in Downtown Edmonton, north of City Hall. The museum is the largest in western Canada with more than exhibition space ...
in
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
in 1976 just as he began the PhD program. Within three seasons he had so much success at fieldwork that the province began planning a larger
museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
to hold the collection. The collection became part of the Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, which was completed in 1985, and Currie was appointed curator of
dinosaurs 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 ...
. In 1986, Currie became the co-director of the joint Canada-China Dinosaur Project, with
Dale Russell Dale Alan Russell (27 December 1937 – 21 December 2019) was an American-Canadian geologist and palaeontologist. Throughout his career Russell worked as the Curator of Fossil Vertebrates at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Research Professor a ...
of the Canadian Museum of Nature in
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
and
Dong Zhiming Dong Zhiming (Chinese: 董枝明, Pinyin: ''Dǒng Zhimíng''; born January 1937) is a Chinese vertebrate paleontologist formerly employed at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) in Beijing. He began working at the ...
of the
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP; ) of China is a research institution and collections repository for fossils, including many dinosaur and pterosaur specimens (many from the Yixian Formation). As its name suggest ...
in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.


Contributions to palaeontology

Over the last 25 years he has worked on
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 preserved ...
discovery in
Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
,
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
,
Dinosaur Provincial Park Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated a two hour drive east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or , about a half-hour drive northeast of Brooks. The park is situated in the Red Deer River valley, which is noted for its strik ...
,
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park is a provincial park in Central Alberta, Canada, located about southeast of Red Deer and east of Trochu. The park is situated along the Red Deer River and features badlands topography. Its name derives fr ...
, and many other locations. His contributions to
palaeontology 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 fossi ...
include synonymising the
genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
''
Troodon ''Troodon'' ( ; ''Troödon'' in older sources) is a wastebasket taxon and a dubious genus of relatively small, bird-like dinosaurs known definitively from the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period (about 77  mya). It includes at leas ...
'' and ''
Stenonychosaurus ''Stenonychosaurus'' (meaning "narrow claw lizard") is a genus of troodontid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada, as well as possibly the Two Medicine Formation. The type and only species, ''S. inequalis ...
'' in 1987 (with the former name taking precedence) and later reversing this in 2017. He has also synonymised the ceratopsian taxon ''
Rubeosaurus ''Styracosaurus'' ( ; meaning "spiked lizard" from the Ancient Greek / "spike at the butt-end of a spear-shaft" and / "lizard") is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period (Campanian stage), about 75.5 to 74.5  ...
'' with '' Styracosaurus'', the latter being the valid, senior synonym. One of Currie's main interests has been the evolutionary link between modern birds and non-avian dinosaurs. The similarities between
troodontids Troodontidae is a clade of bird-like theropod dinosaurs. During most of the 20th century, troodontid fossils were few and incomplete and they have therefore been allied, at various times, with many dinosaurian lineages. More recent fossil discov ...
and
birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
in particular made him a major proponent of the
theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...
that
birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
are descended from
dinosaurs 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 ...
, as did his finding that tyrannosaurids, along with many other non-avian theropod lineages, possessed furculae, a trait previously believed to be exclusive to birds and absent from non-avian dinosaurs. As part of the joint China-Canada Dinosaur Project, he helped describe two of the first
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 ...
specimens from the lagerstätten of the
Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...
in China that clearly showed
feather Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier ...
impressions: ''
Protarchaeopteryx ''Protarchaeopteryx'' (meaning "before ''Archaeopteryx''") is a genus of turkey-sized feathered theropod dinosaur from China.Ji, Q., and Ji, S. (1997). "Protarchaeopterygid bird (''Protarchaeopteryx'' gen. nov.) – fossil remains of ...
''. Translated by the Will Downs Bilby Research Center, Northern Arizona University, 2001. and ''
Caudipteryx ''Caudipteryx'' (which means "tail feather") is a genus of peacock-sized theropod dinosaurs that lived in the Barremian age of the early Cretaceous (about 124.6 million years ago). They were feathered and extremely birdlike in their overall appea ...
''. In contrast with the 1996 discovery of ''
Sinosauropteryx ''Sinosauropteryx'' (meaning "Chinese reptilian wing", ) is a compsognathid dinosaur. Described in 1996, it was the first dinosaur taxon outside of Avialae (birds and their immediate relatives) to be found with evidence of feathers. It was cover ...
'', which only showed the impression of downy filaments, these were indisputably
feathers Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier e ...
. This not only helped cement the theory that birds are descended from dinosaurs, but indicated that many
dromaeosaurids Dromaeosauridae () is a family of feathered theropod dinosaurs. They were generally small to medium-sized feathered carnivores that flourished in the Cretaceous Period. The name Dromaeosauridae means 'running lizards', from Greek ('), meaning ...
were feathered. He was later featured in numerous popular articles and
documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...
. In 1997, Currie teamed up with Microsoft's Chief Technical Officer
Nathan Myhrvold Nathan Paul Myhrvold (born August 3, 1959), formerly Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, is co-founder of Intellectual Ventures and the principal author of ''Modernist Cuisine'' and its successor books. Myhrvold was listed as co-inventor o ...
to create a computer model demonstrating that
diplodocids Diplodocids, or members of the family Diplodocidae ("double beams"), are a group of sauropod dinosaurs. The family includes some of the longest creatures ever to walk the Earth, including ''Diplodocus'' and '' Supersaurus'', some of which may ha ...
could snap their tails like
whips A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...
, and create small
sonic booms A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding similar to an explosion or a thunderclap to ...
. He was involved in exposing a composite
specimen Specimen may refer to: Science and technology * Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount * Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...
that had been the subject of the 1999
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
"
Archeoraptor "Archaeoraptor" is the informal generic name for a fossil chimera from China in an article published in ''National Geographic'' magazine in 1999. The magazine claimed that the fossil was a " missing link" between birds and terrestrial ther ...
" scandal. Currie became increasingly sceptical of the orthodox belief that large
carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...
dinosaurs 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 ...
were
solitary animal Sociality is the degree to which individuals in an animal population tend to associate in social groups (gregariousness) and form cooperative societies. Sociality is a survival response to evolutionary pressures. For example, when a mother wasp ...
s, but there was no evidence for his
hypothesis A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it. Scientists generally base scientific hypotheses on previous obse ...
that they may have hunted in packs. However, circumstantial evidence came when he tracked down a site mentioned by
Barnum Brown Barnum Brown (February 12, 1873 – February 5, 1963), commonly referred to as Mr. Bones, was an American paleontologist. Named after the circus showman P. T. Barnum, he discovered the first documented remains of ''Tyrannosaurus'' during a career ...
that featured 12 specimens of ''
Albertosaurus ''Albertosaurus'' (; meaning "Alberta lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, about 71 million years ago. The type species, ''A. sarcophagus'', wa ...
'' from various age groups. Currie was also involved in the discovery of a
bonebed A bone bed is any geological stratum or deposit that contains bones of whatever kind. Inevitably, such deposits are sedimentary in nature. Not a formal term, it tends to be used more to describe especially dense collections such as Lagerstätt ...
which evidenced
gregarious behaviour Sociality is the degree to which individuals in an animal population tend to associate in social groups (gregariousness) and form cooperative societies. Sociality is a survival response to evolutionary pressures. For example, when a mother wasp ...
in the
caenagnathoid Caenagnathoidea ("recent jaw forms") is a group of advanced oviraptorosaurian dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period of what are now Asia and North America. They are distinct for their characteristically short, beaked, parrot-like skulls, often wi ...
''
Avimimus ''Avimimus'' ( ), meaning "bird mimic" (Latin ''avis'' = bird + ''mimus'' = mimic), is a genus of oviraptorosaurian theropod dinosaur, named for its bird-like characteristics, that lived in the late Cretaceous in what is now Mongolia, around 85 ...
''. Currie has made important contributions to the study of
phylogenetics In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek language, Greek wikt:φυλή, φυλή/wikt:φῦλον, φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary his ...
. He contributed to a comprehensive revision of the phylogenetic relationships of
ankylosaurid Ankylosauridae () is a family of armored dinosaurs within Ankylosauria, and is the sister group to Nodosauridae. The oldest known Ankylosaurids date to around 122 million years ago and went extinct 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous–Pal ...
species in 2015. He also reassessed the phylogenetic status of '' Nipponosaurus sachalinensis'', discovering that it was much more basal among the
Lambeosaurinae Lambeosaurinae is a group of crested hadrosaurid dinosaurs. Classification Lambeosaurines have been traditionally split into the tribes or clades Parasaurolophini ('' Parasaurolophus'', '' Charonosaurus'', others (?).) and Lambeosaurini ('' C ...
than palaeontologists had previously thought. Currie has published multiple papers on the cranial anatomy of various dinosaurs. Together with
Rodolfo Coria Rodolfo Aníbal Coria (born in Neuquén June 1, 1959), is an Argentine paleontologist. He is best known for having directed the field study and co-naming of '' Argentinosaurus'' (possibly the world's largest land animal ever) in 1993, and ''Giga ...
, he published a detailed description of the
braincase In human anatomy, the neurocranium, also known as the braincase, brainpan, or brain-pan is the upper and back part of the skull, which forms a protective case around the brain. In the human skull, the neurocranium includes the calvaria or skul ...
of the large
carcharodontosaurid Carcharodontosauridae (carcharodontosaurids; from the Greek καρχαροδοντόσαυρος, ''carcharodontósauros'': "shark-toothed lizards") is a group of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. In 1931, Ernst Stromer named Carcharodontosauridae ...
''
Giganotosaurus carolinii ''Giganotosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Argentina, during the early Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 99.6 to 95 million years ago. The holotype specimen was discovered in th ...
'' in 2003, which led him to believe that ''
Giganotosaurus ''Giganotosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Argentina, during the early Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 99.6 to 95 million years ago. The holotype specimen was discovered in the ...
'' and ''
Carcharodontosaurus ''Carcharodontosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of large carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that existed during the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous in Northern Africa. The genus ''Carcharodontosaurus'' is named after the shark genus ''Carcha ...
'' were very closely related genera. In 2017, he and Ariana Paulina-Carabajal wrote a paper on the anatomy of the well-preserved braincase of '' Murusraptor barrosaensis'', finding it to be more similar to
tyrannosaurids Tyrannosauridae (or tyrannosaurids, meaning "tyrant lizards") is a family (biology), family of coelurosaurian Theropoda, theropod dinosaurs that comprises two subfamilies containing up to thirteen genus, genera, including the eponymous ''Tyrannos ...
than to
allosaurids Allosauridae is a family of medium to large bipedal, carnivorous allosauroid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic. Allosauridae is a fairly old taxonomic group, having been first named by the American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh i ...
or ceratosaurids. A year later, he coauthored a study detailing the endocranial morphology of the ankylosaurines '' Talarurus plicatospineus'' and '' Tarchia teresae''. In 2019, together with David Christopher Evans, Currie described newly discovered cranial material of the dromaeosaurid ''
Saurornitholestes langstoni ''Saurornitholestes'' ("lizard-bird thief") is a genus of carnivorous dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous of Canada (Alberta) and the United States (Montana, New Mexico, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina). Two spec ...
'' and found the poorly known tooth taxon ''
Zapsalis ''Zapsalis'' is a genus of dromaeosaurine theropod dinosaurs. It is a tooth taxon, often considered dubious because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, which include teeth but no other remains. Etymology The generic name is derived from ...
'' likely to represent the same taxon as ''Saurornitholestes''. Currie's contributions to the study of dinosaur dentition include helping discover the first known instance of alveolar remodelling in dinosaurs and revealing in a 2020 study that the dentition of ''
Sinraptor ''Sinraptor'' is a genus of metriacanthosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic. The name ''Sinraptor'' comes from the Latin prefix "Sino", meaning Chinese, and "raptor" meaning robber. The specific name ''dongi'' honours Dong Zhiming. ...
'' bore extreme similarities to that of ''
Allosaurus ''Allosaurus'' () is a genus of large carnosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 145 million years ago during the Late Jurassic epoch ( Kimmeridgian to late Tithonian). The name "''Allosaurus''" means "different lizard" alludin ...
'', further concluding that ''Sinraptor'' would likely have actively hunted medium-sized dinosaurs such as ''Jiangjunosaurus junggarensis''. Currie has extensively studied the subject of juvenile dinosaurs and dinosaur ontogeny. His publications on the subject have included studies on juveniles of ''Chasmosaurus'', ''Pinacosaurus'', ''Daspletosaurus'', and ''Saurornithoides''. In addition to his work on
dinosaurs 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 ...
, Currie has been involved in numerous research projects on pterosaurs. In 2011 and 2016, he was involved in the description of the first pterosaur fossils from the Northumberland Formation, a part of the Nanaimo Group, of Hornby Island in British Columbia, finding that they probably represented indeterminate members of Istiodactylidae and Azhdarchidae, respectively. In 2017, he assisted in the description of the first known pterosaur pelvic material from the Dinosaur Park Formation; he has also helped study pterosaur material from the Cenomanian found in Lebanon. Currie helped rediscover the type localities of the Mongolian sauropods ''Nemegtosaurus mongoliensis'' and ''Opisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii'' in 2017; the location of both quarries had become unknown due to them being described several decades before and not having been studied for some time. The next year, he published a paper as the lead author in which he suggested the two taxa may represent the same species. Currie's research interests have included ichnofossils as well as body fossils. In 1979, at the beginning of his career, he and William A. S. Sarjeant described ''Amblydactylus kortmeyeri'' from the Peace River Valley. In 1981, Currie authored in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology a description of the ichnospecies ''Aquatilavipes swiboldae'' from the Aptian Gething Formation of British Columbia. He went on to work on
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 ...
footprints from the St. Mary River Formation. In 2004, he studied footprint assemblages from the Lance Formation and described the ichnospecies ''Saurexallopus zerbsti''. In 2018, Currie coauthored a study describing dinosaur footprints at the Nemegt locality. Over the course of his career, Currie has described dozens of new species of
dinosaurs 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 ...
as well as other animals. In 1980, he named the tangasaurid species ''Acerosodontosaurus piveteaui'' based on a partial skull and partial skeleton found in Madagascar. In 1993, he and Xi-Jin Zhao described ''Sinraptor dongi'' from the Shishugou Formation in Xinjiang. He was involved in the China-Canada Dinosaur Project as part of the research which described ''Protarchaeopteryx robusta'' and ''Caudipteryx zoui''. In 2000, he was part of a team describing the Mongolian oviraptorid ''Nomingia gobiensis''. In 2004, he was involved in the description of ''Atrociraptor marshalli''.Currie, P. J. and D. J. Varricchio (2004). "A new dromaeosaurid from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of Alberta, Canada". Pp. 112–132 in P. J. Currie, E. B. Koppelhus, M. A. Shugar and J. L. Wright. (eds.), ''Feathered Dragons''. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press

/ref> In 2009, he contributed to the scientific paper describing ''Hesperonychus elizabethae'', the first known microraptorine found in North America. In 2012, Currie, along with David Christopher Evans and other colleagues, described the leptoceratopsids ''Gryphoceratops morrisoni'' and ''Unescoceratops koppelhusae'' from the Milk River Formation and Dinosaur Park Formation, respectively, of Alberta. In 2013, he worked with David Christopher Evans and Derek W. Larson to study and name the velociraptorine dromaeosaurid ''Acheroraptor temertyorum'', and with
Dong Zhiming Dong Zhiming (Chinese: 董枝明, Pinyin: ''Dǒng Zhimíng''; born January 1937) is a Chinese vertebrate paleontologist formerly employed at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) in Beijing. He began working at the ...
and other palaeontologists to describe ''Nebulasaurus taito''. In 2014, he and Victoria Arbour, Victoria Megan Arbour described the
ankylosaurid Ankylosauridae () is a family of armored dinosaurs within Ankylosauria, and is the sister group to Nodosauridae. The oldest known Ankylosaurids date to around 122 million years ago and went extinct 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous–Pal ...
''Zaraapelta nomadis''. In 2015, Currie, as part of a team of twelve scientists, described ''Ischioceratops zhuchengensis'' from Shandong Province. In 2016, he and Gregory Funston described ''Apatoraptor pennatus'', a novel caenagnathid taxon from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta. In 2017, Currie helped describe ''Aepyornithomimus tugrikinensis'', the first species of ornithomimosaur found in the Djadokhta Formation of
Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
, ''Halszkaraptor escuilliei'', a halszkaraptorine dromaeosaurid, and ''Latenivenatrix mcmasterae'', the largest known troodontid. In 2019, Currie coauthored a study describing the fossil hagfish ''Tethymyxine tapirostrum'' found in the Hâdjula Lagerstätte, a fossil site of Cenomanian age in Lebanon, as well as one which described ''Mimodactylus libanensis'', a pterosaur from that same locality. In 2020, Currie, together with longtime collaborator
Rodolfo Coria Rodolfo Aníbal Coria (born in Neuquén June 1, 1959), is an Argentine paleontologist. He is best known for having directed the field study and co-naming of '' Argentinosaurus'' (possibly the world's largest land animal ever) in 1993, and ''Giga ...
, was part of a team of researchers that published a description of ''Lajasvenator ascheriae'', the oldest known carcharodontosaurid from the Cretaceous period.


Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum

In 2015, the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum was opened in Wembley, Alberta. It is located about a 15-minute drive west of Grande Prairie, and about northwest of
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
. The museum was designed by Teeple Architects, and has won several awards. It celebrates the Pipestone Creek bone bed, one of the world's richest dinosaur-bearing bone beds.


Personal life

Currie is a lifelong fan of science fiction and the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. He is married to the Denmark, Danish palaeobotanist and palynologist Eva Koppelhus, and has three sons from a previous marriage.


Awards and recognition

* 1981: Doctoral thesis nominated for the Canadian Society of Zoologist's best thesis of the year * 1988: Frederick W. A. G. Haultain, Sir Frederick Haultain Award for significant contributions to science in Alberta * 1998: Featured as one of 12 outstanding Canadians in ''Maclean's'' * 1998: Featured on the front cover of the Canadian issue of ''Time (magazine), Time'' * 1999: The American Association of Petroleum Geologists' Michel T. Halbouty Human Needs Award * 1999: Elected to the Royal Society of Canada * 2001: The festschrift ''Mesozoic Vertebrate Life: New Research Inspired by the Paleontology of Philip J. Currie'' was published in his honor * 2003: Ranked as one of Canada's top five explorers by ''Time'' * 2004: Michael Smith Award * 2006: ASTech Award * 2010: Alberta Order of Excellence * 2012: The Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Gold Medal *2019
The Elizabeth 'Betsy' Nicholls Award for Excellence in Palaeontology
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* 2022: Distinguished Explorer Award from the Roy Chapman Andrews Society Dinosaur species named in honour of Currie include ''Quilmesaurus, Quilmesaurus curriei'' (Coria, 2001), ''Epichirostenotes, Epichirostenotes curriei'' (Sullivan et al., 2011), ''Teratophoneus, Teratophoneus curriei'' (Carr et al., 2011), ''Philovenator, Philovenator curriei'' (Xu et al., 2012), and ''Albertavenator, Albertavenator curriei'' (Evans et al., 2017).


Bibliography

As one of the world's foremost palaeontologists, Currie has been featured in many films, programs in radio and television, as well as in newspapers."Honorary Degrees: 2008 Recipients of Honorary Degree"
University of Calgary homepage.
Apart from this, he has also been accessorial to many books: *(with Kenneth Carpenter, Carpenter K); ''Dinosaur Systematics: Approaches and Perspectives'' (Cambridge University Press, 1990), . * (with Sovak J); ''The flying dinosaurs: the illustrated guide to the evolution of flight'' (Red Deer College Press, 1991). * (with Zdeněk Špinar, Spinar V.Z. & Sovak J); ''Great Dinosaurs: From Triassic Through Jurassic to Cretaceous'' (Borders Press, 1994). * (with Eva B. Koppelhus, Koppelhus E.B.); ''101 Questions about Dinosaurs'', (Dover Publications, 1996) . * (with Padian K); ''Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs'' (Academic Press, 1997) . * (with Mastin C.O. & Sovak J); ''The Newest and Coolest Dinosaurs'' (Grasshopper Books, 1998). * (with Tanka S, Sereno P.J. & Norell M); ''Graveyards of the dinosaurs: what it's like to discover prehistoric creatures'' (Hyperion Books for Children, 1998). * (with Sovak J & Felber E.P), ''A Moment in Time with''
Troodon ''Troodon'' ( ; ''Troödon'' in older sources) is a wastebasket taxon and a dubious genus of relatively small, bird-like dinosaurs known definitively from the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period (about 77  mya). It includes at leas ...
(Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2001). * (with Koppelhus E.B. & Sovak J); ''A Moment in Time with''
Sinosauropteryx ''Sinosauropteryx'' (meaning "Chinese reptilian wing", ) is a compsognathid dinosaur. Described in 1996, it was the first dinosaur taxon outside of Avialae (birds and their immediate relatives) to be found with evidence of feathers. It was cover ...
(Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2001). * (with Felber E.P. & Sovak J); ''A Moment in Time with''
Albertosaurus ''Albertosaurus'' (; meaning "Alberta lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, about 71 million years ago. The type species, ''A. sarcophagus'', wa ...
(Troodon Productions, 2001). * (with Koppelhus E.B. & Sovak J); ''A Moment in Time with'' Centrosaurus (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2001). * (with Koppelhus E, Orsen M.J., Norell M, Hopp T.P., Bakker R ''et.al''); ''Feathered Dragons: Studies on the Transition from Dinosaurs to Birds'' (Indiana University Press, 2004) . * (with Špinar Z.V., Spinar V.S. & Sovak J); ''The Great Dinosaurs: A Study of the Giants' Evolution'' (Caxton Editions, 2004). * (with Koppelhus E.B.); ''Dinosaur Provincial Park: a spectacular ancient ecosystem revealed, Vol. 1'' (Indiana University Press, 2005) . * (with Tanke D.H. & Langston W); ''A new horned dinosaur from an Upper Cretaceous bonebed in Alberta'' (NRC Research Press, 2008).


Selected works

* *


References


External links

*
Currie at the Canada Encyclopedia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Currie, Philip J. Canadian paleontologists 1949 births Living people Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada University of Alberta faculty People from Brampton People from Drumheller McGill University Faculty of Science alumni University of Toronto alumni Paleontology in Alberta, * Paleozoologists Museum founders Canadian curators