María Dolores Soria Mayor facts for kids

María Dolores Soria Mayor (1948 – 5 June 2004), also known as Loli Soria, was a Spanish paleontologist. Paleontologists are scientists who study fossils to learn about ancient life on Earth.

About a Paleontologist's Life

María Dolores Soria Mayor, often called Loli Soria, was born in 1948. She became a scientist who studied ancient life.

She earned a degree in Biological Sciences in 1971. For a few years, she taught Natural Sciences at a school in Ciudad Lineal, Spain.

In 1973 and 1974, Loli studied and worked in Germany. When she returned to Spain, she started her important research. She focused on a type of ancient dog called Nyctereutes. These fossils were found in a special area called the karst field of Layna. She also wrote about an ancient rodent, Blancomys neglectus, from the same place.

In 1974, Loli joined the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). This is a big science organization in Spain. By 1981, she became a Senior Scientist at the National Museum of Natural Sciences. From 1996 to 2001, she led the Paleobiology Department there.

Exploring Ancient Worlds

Loli Soria took part in many important science meetings. In 1974, she helped with an international conference about ancient land animals. The next year, she joined a big congress in Bratislava.

She was also part of teams that studied ancient Miocene fossils. These fossils were found in places like Venta del Moro, Loranca, and Cerro de los Batallones in Spain.

In 1978, Loli taught vertebrate zoology at a university in La Paz, Bolivia. She also helped with the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program. This program works to improve how people and nature interact.

Loli led many research projects. Her work helped us understand more about ancient ruminant animals. Ruminants are animals like cows and deer. She studied how they changed over time and where they lived.

She worked with a French team studying ancient life in Namibia since 1994. She also worked with a Spanish team near Lake Natron in Tanzania. Loli was an expert in ancient meat-eating animals from the Cenozoic era. She also studied extinct types of ruminants and how mammals evolved in South America.

Honoring Her Work

After Loli Soria passed away in 2004, people honored her important contributions to science.

In 2009, the National Museum of Natural Sciences published a special book about her. It was called Notes on the Recent History of the National Museum of Natural Sciences. A Tribute to Dolores Soria Mayor.

Species Named After Her

Scientists have named several ancient species after Loli Soria to honor her work. These include:

• Cricetodon soriae – a type of ancient hamster found near Madrid.
• Gacella soriae – an ancient antelope found in Teruel, Spain.
• Parabos soriae – an ancient type of bovine (like a cow) found in Valencia, Spain.

See also

In Spanish: María Dolores Soria Mayor para niños