Sterling Nesbitt

Sterling Nesbitt is best known for discovering and naming several important Triassic archosaurs, including the early dinosaur *Tawa hallae* and the bizarre crocodilian relative *Poposaurus*. He also named the massive, terrestrial carnivore *Lepidus praecisio*.

Nesbitt is currently a professor and researcher at Virginia Tech. He has led extensive paleontological fieldwork in the Chinle Formation of the American Southwest to uncover fossils from the Late Triassic period.

His research focuses on the origins and early evolution of archosaurs during the Triassic period. He specifically examines the skeletal relationships and evolutionary trees of ancient crocodilians, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs to understand how these major groups diverged.

Yes, his work on early dinosaurs like *Tawa hallae* helped clarify the evolutionary relationships of the earliest theropods. His research provided strong fossil evidence that early dinosaurs originated in the Southern Hemisphere before spreading globally across Pangea.