Robert Bakker

Known for his long facial beard, pony tail, and western sun hat, Dr. Robert T. Bakker is considered one of the most energetic and outspoken of the 1970s generation of American paleontologists who ushered in a new era of dinosaur theories. His particular contribution, along with a select cadre of colleagues with contrarian views, was that of the dynamic, endothermic dinosaur model. Previously, paleontologists had steadfastly maintained that the giant creatures had been slow behemoths that needed to regulate their temperature by exposure to the sun reptilian style. The idea that many species of dinosaur were warm-blooded and led active and energetic lives caught on quickly though his theories have drawn strong criticism among his peers. He also theorized that the great dinosaur extinction may have been caused by communicable diseases and strongly supported the notion that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Due to his forceful character and personality and willingness to publicly explain his v