Tito Aureliano Neto, or simply Tito Aureliano (Recife, December 28th 1989), is a Brazilian paleontologist, researcher, science communicator, and writer.
Tito Aureliano | |
|---|---|
 Tito Aureliano in 2023 | |
| Born | 28 December 1989 Brazil |
| Alma mater | State University of Campinas Federal University of Pernambuco |
| Known for | "Colecionadores de Ossos (Bone Collectors)", Paleontology, Paleohistology, Anatomy |
| Spouse | Aline Ghilardi |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Paleontologist, Researcher, Geologist, Science communicator |
| Institutions | Universidade Regional do Cariri |
Biography
editAlthough born in the city of Recife, Tito moved to Brasília as a child, with his parents and sister. During his childhood, he became interested in paleontology.[1] He studied and worked at the University of Brasília (UnB),[2] until he completed his degree in Geology at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). He later earned a master's and doctorate in science from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). He specializes in the study of fossilized tissues and his doctoral research was a study of the evolution of the dinosaur respiratory system through paleohistology.[3][4]
In January 2010, he joined the blog created by scientist Aline Ghilardi Colecionadores de Ossos (Bone Collectors), focused on science outreach about paleontology.[5] The blog became a YouTube channel in 2014 and has established itself as one of the main productions of its subject in Brazil.[6] In 2015, Tito released the book Dino Hazard: Hidden Reality, a fictional story that also got Spanish and English versions and a prequel as a role-playing video game.[5][7]
As part of his studies, Tito took part in research into the extinct super crocodilian Purussaurus,[8][9][10] and Sousatitan.[11] He and his colleagues described the first fossilized parasites found inside the vascular canals of a dinosaur (the titanosaur Ibirania), while at the same time describing the development of osteomyelitis in 83 million-year-old fossilized bone tissue[12] and he also described one of the smallest known species of titanosaur.[13] He has scientific publications in journals from publishing groups such as Nature, Plos, Wiley, and Elsevier.[3][12][14] He is also active in scientific communication, and his studio produces literary, audiovisual and gaming material with more than 200 works and distribution in more than 40 countries.[15]
Aureliano was also one of the major supporters of the #UbirajaraBelongstoBR campaign (Ubirajara belongs to Brazil), a campaign created by paleontologist Aline Ghilardi so that, 27 years after leaving Brazil illegally and going to a German museum, the fossil of the dinosaur Ubirajara jubatus would return to its country of origin.[16][17][18]
He is currently an associate researcher of the DINOlab - Diversity, Ichnology and Osteohistology Laboratory, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), together with paleontologist Aline Ghilardi.[19][20]
Personal life
editTito Aureliano is married to paleontologist Aline Ghilardi.[18] He is also the great-grandson of Rodolfo Aureliano, one of the first Afro-Brazilian judges in Brazil.
Works in Fiction
edit- 2012: Mesozoic tales (board game);
- 2015: Tolices. Perdição. Enfim, Amor (book);
- 2016: Dino Hazard: Realidade Oculta (novel);
- 2021: Dino Hazard: Comics - Vol.1 (Graphic Novel; co-authorship with Márcio L. Castro)
- 2023: A Ascensão de um Império (book; co-authorship with Aline M. Ghilardi)
- 2023: Dino Hazard: Chronos Blackout (video game; co-authorship with Aline M. Ghilardi)
References
edit- ^ "O que explica tantos diagnósticos tardios de autismo em adultos". QG (in Portuguese). 7 November 2022. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ "EP 4 - No mundo dos dinossauros: desafios sociais da universidade". Spotify (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ a b "Dinosaurs' Air Sacs Evolved Many Times and Let Them Take Over the World". Scientific American. March 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ "Cientistas brasileiros mostram por que dinossauros cresciam tanto". Veja (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ a b "Ciência Hoje - Viagem ao Cretáceo". Ciência Hoje. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
- ^ "Como cientistas brasileiros colonizaram o YouTube". BBC Brasil (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ "Experiência com jogos e autismo é tema de episódio do podcast Lógica Autista". Canal Autismo (in Portuguese). 29 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ Brasil, B. B. C. (26 February 2015). "Cinco curiosidades sobre 'superjacaré' brasileiro mais forte que tiranossauro". BBC Brasil. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ^ "Prehistoric caiman's bite 'twice as strong' as T-Rex's". BBC News. 2015-02-26.
- ^ "Jacaré do Acre era maior que ônibus e mordia mais forte que tiranossauro - 26/02/2015 - Ciência - Folha de S.Paulo". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ^ "Nova espécie de dinossauro é encontrada no sertão da Paraíba - 25/07/2016 - Ciência - Folha de S.Paulo". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ^ a b "First Evidence of Parasites in Dinosaur Bones Found". Smithsonian Magazine.
- ^ "New brazilian dinosaur". UFRN PRESS.
- ^ "Cinco curiosidades sobre 'superjacaré' brasileiro mais forte que tiranossauro". BBC. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ "Divulgadores de ciência fortalecem redes e diversificam atuação". Revista FAPESP.
- ^ "Após campanha, Brasil retoma da Alemanha fóssil de 1º dinossauro com penas". Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ^ "Rare dinosaur heads home as Germany agrees to return Brazilian fossil". www.science.org. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ^ a b "O fóssil é nosso!". piauí (in Portuguese). 3 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ "Team". DinoLab (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ ""Pint of Science" em Mossoró apresenta a ciência de forma descontraída". Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-07-17.