Nizar Ibrahim
Dr. Nizar Ibrahim, National Geographic Explorer and TED Fellow, is a pioneering paleontologist whose work spans continents and deep time. From remote deserts to museum halls, he has led groundbreaking fossil discoveries around the world, reshaping how we understand prehistoric life.
Deep Time Traveler
•
Bone Collector
•
Atlas Explorer
•
Deep Time Traveler • Bone Collector • Atlas Explorer •
More about Nizar
Nizar Ibrahim, PhD, National Geographic Explorer and TED fellow, has collected fossils across multiple continents. He tracked giant dinosaur remains in Texas, uncovered mysterious sea monsters in the UK, and excavated some of the largest predatory dinosaurs. Leading expeditions in the Sahara Desert, Nizar revealed a stunning array of prehistoric creatures, including crocodile-like hunters, car-sized fish, ancient flying reptiles, and the giant aquatic dinosaur Spinosaurus. Currently, he is working on the world’s largest Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons, as well as the largest flying creature with a 33-foot wingspan. He also supervises research on the giant elephant-like Deinotherium.
Nizar’s research has been featured in National Geographic, NATURE, SCIENCE, the New York Times, and other major publications. His 2020 NATURE cover story was the second-most popular that month, reaching approximately 2 billion people worldwide and being featured in over 1,800 media outlets. He was the first paleontologist to give a TED talk, with videos garnering over 2.5 million views.
-
Named one of Chicago’s “40 under 40” in 2015 alongside Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey, Nizar served as Scientific Director of Hong Kong’s “Big 8” paleontology exhibit, which attracted nearly one million visitors in six months. His work on the largest predatory dinosaur is also featured at Japan’s Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum and will be showcased in the National Geographic Museum of Exploration opening in 2026.
He has advised BBC’s Planet Dinosaur and Walking with Dinosaurs documentaries and teaches anatomy and paleontology at university level.
Speaking Topics
Conservation
Science
Exploration
Nature
Watch Nizar in action
Presentations
Lost Dinosaurs of the Sahara
Tantalizing clues have long hinted at incredible paleontological treasures hidden in the world's most famous desert. Join paleontologist and explorer Nizar Ibrahim as he scours the shifting sands of the Sahara, uncovering some of the most spectacular – and largest – prehistoric creatures, on land, in the air, and in the water.
From Dinosaurs to Dire Wolves – A Deep Time Adventure
Join paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim on a deep-time adventure through the epic evolutionary history of vertebrates. Encounter Tyrannosaurus rex, the giant shark Megalodon, miniature humans, and 100-ton giants while witnessing mass extinctions and pivotal moments in life’s story. Using award-winning paleo-art and immersive animations, Nizar reveals how Earth’s ancient creatures shaped our world—and continue to shape our bodies and our imagination today.
“These dragons from deep time are incredible creatures. They're bizarre, they're beautiful, and there's very little we know about them.”
– Nizar Ibrahim