Team members at Everything Dinosaur were very saddened to hear the news of the death of Dr Angela Milner formerly the senior dinosaur researcher in the Dept of Palaeontology at the London Natural History Museum. Dr Milner passed away on the morning of the 13th August (2021). During her long career, she played a prominent role in vertebrate fossil research and authored many books about dinosaurs.

Dr Angela Milner talks about Baryonyx.
The death of Dr Angela Milner was announced on Friday 13th August, 2021. Dr Milner talks about the discovery of Baryonyx walkeri and discusses the famous thumb claw. Picture credit: Natural History Museum (London).

Baryonyx walkeri

The Everything Dinosaur blog has featured the work of Dr Milner on numerous occasions. We have blogged about her work on the evolution of birds, her research into Archaeopteryx, using the famous “London” specimen in the collection of the Natural History Museum and discussed her contribution to a better understanding of the evolution of tyrannosaurs. Perhaps, she is most closely associated with the theropod dinosaur Baryonyx walkeri. In 1986, Natural History Museum colleagues Alan Charig and Angela Milner published in the journal Nature, a formal, scientific description of Baryonyx walkeri.

Baryonyx scientific paper
The scientific paper announcing Baryonyx walkeri by Alan J. Charig and Angela C. Milner (London Natural History Museum).

In 2011, the contribution of Dr Milner to vertebrate palaeontology was recognised when the specific name of a new carcharodontosaurid from the famous Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania – Veterupristisaurus was named in her honour (V. milneri).

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We were all very sad when we heard this news. Our thoughts are with Dr Angela Milner’s family and friends.”