May 2026 – Patrick O’Connor, PhD | Director, Earth & Space Sciences, Senior Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, Denver Museum of Nature & Science | Avian Dinosaurs from the Latest Cretaceous of Madagascar and Antarctica: A Tale of Two Birds and Two Sub-Continents

Dr. Patrick (Pat) O’Connor is a vertebrate paleontologist who integrates data from the fossil record with our understanding of form-function relationships in modern animals to explore eco-functional implications of morphological novelty in different groups of backboned animals (e.g., non-avian dinosaurs, birds, crocodiles). He completed a degree in biological anthropology at Michigan State University, followed by a PhD in anatomical sciences at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine. Following his PhD, Pat took a tenure-track position (Neuroscience and Anatomy) at the Ohio University College of Medicine, where he advanced to the rank of full professor and presidential research scholar while simultaneously serving several administrative roles in both research and curriculum. He took on the role of Director of Earth and Space Sciences at DMNS in January 2024.

Pat’s field research projects span from Colorado and Utah to Madagascar, eastern and northern Africa, and Antarctica, united by the common theme of characterizing the impact of large-scale environmental change on biotas during the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene. Along with students and colleagues from around the globe, Pat and his collaborators regularly describe species new to science, including several exciting and oftentimes bizarre non-avian dinosaurs, birds, crocodiles, and mammals.