Photo: Espace des sciences, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons¹⁸

Philippe Taquet

French paleontologist (1940–2025)

Philippe Taquet (25 April 1940 – 16 November 2025) was a French paleontologist who specialised in dinosaur systematics of finds primarily in northern Africa.²

From Wikipedia’s article on Philippe Taquet (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Apr 25, 1940, died Nov 16, 2025.¹

Companies

French Academy of SciencesChair 2013 to 2014¹⁷

Early life and education

1965Science Faculty of Paris doctorate in France; paleontology³
1973Pierre and Marie Curie University doctorate in France; natural science³

Career

Occupation: research fellow, paleontologist, university teacher.⁹

Since 2017Chairperson, Q109037866⁵
2017 to 2023Chairperson, COFRHIGEO^{5 7}
2013 to 2014President of the French Academy of Sciences^{5 6}
2013 to 2014Chair, French Academy of Sciences⁸
2011 to 2012Vice president, French Academy of Sciences⁵
Since 2010Emeritus⁵
Since 2002Editor-in-chief⁵
1985 to 1990Director of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle⁵
1982 to 1996Professor⁵
1981 to 1996Director of Research at CNRS⁵
1981 to 2010University teacher⁵
Date not recordedWorked at Paris Diderot University⁴
Date not recordedWorked at Muséum national d'histoire naturelle⁴

Taquet was a member of the French Academy of Sciences beginning on 30 November 2004, and president from 2012. He studied and described a number of new dinosaur species from Africa, especially from the Aptian site of Gadoufaoua in Niger (such as Ouranosaurus). He also researched the Lower Cretaceous stratigraphic relationship between western Africa and Brazil by reconstructing the paleobiology from fossil floras and faunas. He was president of the French National Museum of Natural History from 1985 to 1990.

He received the Sue Tyler Friedman Medal in 2009 for work in the history of geology.

Taquet died on 16 November 2025, at the age of 85.

From Wikipedia’s article on Philippe Taquet (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

BornApr 25, 1940, Saint-Quentin^{10 11}
DiedNov 16, 2025, 15th arrondissement of Paris^{11 12}
CitizenshipFrance¹³

Awards

2023Commander of the National Order of Merit¹⁴
2011Officer of the Legion of Honour¹⁴
2009Sue Tyler Friedman Medal^{14 16}
2001Officer of the National Order of Merit¹⁴
1989Knight of the Legion of Honour¹⁴
1989Prix François-Fontannes^{14 15}
Date not recordedKnight of the French Order of Academic Palms¹⁴
Date not recordedOfficer of the Order of Saint-Charles¹⁴

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

1
WikidataPhilippe Taquet on Wikidata
2
WikipediaPhilippe Taquet on Wikipedia
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WikidataPhilippe Taquet: education, on Wikidata
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WikidataPhilippe Taquet: Worked at Paris Diderot University, on Wikidata
5
WikidataPhilippe Taquet: Director of Research at CNRS, on Wikidata
6
WikidataPresident of the French Academy of Sciences, as reported by French Academy of Sciences
7
WikidataChairperson, COFRHIGEO, as reported
8
WikidataPhilippe Taquet: Chair, French Academy of Sciences, on Wikidata
9
WikidataPhilippe Taquet: occupation, on Wikidata
10
WikidataPhilippe Taquet: place of birth, on Wikidata
11
Wikidataplace of birth, as reported by Fichier des personnes décédées mirror
12
WikidataPhilippe Taquet: place of death, on Wikidata
13
WikidataPhilippe Taquet: citizenship, on Wikidata
14
WikidataPhilippe Taquet: award, on Wikidata
15
Wikidataaward, as reported
16
Wikidataaward, as reported
17
WikidataFrench Academy of Sciences, Chair
18
Wikimedia CommonsPhilippe Taquet photo by Espace des sciences, CC BY-SA 3.0