José Fernando Bonaparte is an Argentinian paleontologist, specializing in prehistoric mammals, even though he is famed for his work in dinosaur paeleontology.
He was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. When he was 19, José and his friends setup the "Museo Popular de Ciencias Naturales Carlos Ameghina" in the city of Mercedes. He has no formal education, but was given an honorary doctorate from the National University of Tucumán in 1976 while he was working there as the curator.
José Bonaparte is very influential in modern paleontology, having described twenty-five species of dinosaur, and influencing many other Argentinian paleontologists, like Rodolfo Coria.
When you want to dig for dino data!