Erich Maren Schlaikjer

Erich Maren Schlaikjer was an American geologist and dinosaur hunter. He worked with Barnum Brown and helped describe important dinosaurs like Pachycephalosaurus and what is now called Montanoceratops. He also discovered other ancient animals such as Miotapirus and a new kind of Mesohippus.

Schlaikjer studied at Harvard University and earned a bachelor's degree in 1929. He later got master’s and doctoral degrees from Columbia University in 1931 and 1935. Sadly, he passed away on November 5, 1972, in Littleton, Colorado. His work helped scientists learn more about the creatures that lived millions of years ago.

Honors

Erich Maren Schlaikjer received many honors for his work. He was a Parmentier Scholar at Harvard University from 1924 to 1925 and a University Fellow at Columbia University from 1931 to 1932. He won the Cressy Morrison Prize from the New York Academy of Science in 1939 and became a Fellow of The Geological Society of America the same year. He was also a Fellow of the Paleontological Society of America starting in 1940 and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His achievements were recognized in the Who’s Who in America starting in the 1949 Supplement and continuing through the 1950 edition.

Publications

Erich Maren Schlaikjer wrote many important papers about dinosaurs and other ancient animals. In 1931, he described a new type of small horse called Mesohippus from South Dakota. In 1932, he explained more about the bones of Mesohippus barbouri. In 1937, he worked with Barnum Brown to describe the skeleton of Styracosaurus and a new species they found. His work helped scientists learn more about these fascinating creatures from the past.