Andrea Cau is an Italian vertebrate paleontologist. He specialises in the study of dinosaur cladistics, in particular that of tyrannoraptorans. Cau has named over a dozen new species of extinct animals, including the controversial dromaeosaurid theropod taxon Halszkaraptor in 2017. He also reanalysed the theropod Balaur, placing it as a basal avialan (primitive bird) rather than a dromaeosaur, which it was previously believed to be.
Below is a list of taxa that Cau has contributed to naming: YearTaxonAuthors2026Norellraptor barsboldi gen. et sp. nov.Wang, Ji, Cau, Kundrát, Liu, Wang, & Ji2026Carinthiasuchus kandutschi gen. et sp. nov.Dalla Vecchia & Cau2026Kunpengornis anhuimusei gen. et sp. nov.Huang, Wang, Cau, Mao, Liu, & Wang2025Shri rapax sp. nov.Moutrille, Cau, Chinzorig, Escuillié, Tsogtbaatar, Ganzorig, Mallet, & Godefroit2025Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov.Wang, Cau, Wang, Kundrát, Zhang, Liu, & Chiappe2023Migmanychion laiyang gen. et sp. nov.Wang, Cau, Wang, Yu, Wu, Wang, & Liu2022Musivavis amabilis gen. et sp. nov.Wang, Cau, Luo, Kundrát, Wu, Zhu, Guo, Liu, & Ji2021Khinganornis hulunbuirensis gen. et sp. nov.Wang, Cau, Kundrát, Chiappe, Ji, Wang, Li, & Wu2021Ceratosuchops inferodios gen. et sp. nov.Barker, Hone, Naish, Cau, Lockwood, Foster, Clarkin, Schneider, & Gostling2021Riparovenator milnerae gen. et sp. nov.Barker, Hone, Naish, Cau, Lockwood, Foster, Clarkin, Schneider, & Gostling2020Kompsornis longicaudus gen. et sp. nov.Wang, Huang, Kundrát, Cau, Liu, Wang, & Ju2020Huinculsaurus montesi gen. et sp. nov.Baiano, Coria, & Cau2017Halszkaraptor escuilliei gen. et sp. nov.Cau, Beyrand, Voeten, Fernandez, Tafforeau, Stein, Barsbold, Tsogtbaatar, Currie, & Godefroit2017Serikornis sungei gen. et sp. nov.Lefèvre, Cau, Cincotta, Hu, Chinsamy, Escuillié, & Godefroit2013Aurornis xui gen. et sp. nov.Godefroit, Cau, Dong-Yu, Escuillié, Wenhao, & Dyke2013Tataouinea hannibalis gen. et sp. nov.Fanti, Cau, Hassine, & Contessi2013Sauroniops pachytholus gen. et sp. nov.Cau, Dalla Vecchia, & Fabbri2011Samrukia nessovi gen. et sp. nov.Naish, Dyke, Cau, Escuillié, & Godefroit2011Neptunidraco ammoniticus gen. et sp. nov.Cau & Fanti
Personal life Cau graduated in 2017 with a PhD in Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Works La rivoluzione piumata. I nuovi dinosauri e l'origine degli uccelli, 5 volumes, self-publishing, 2019-2023. Ricostruire i dinosauri. La scienza che dà un volto ai fossili, self-publishing, 2024. Il dilemma dei dinosauri, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2025.
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