RENESTO SILVIO CLAUDIO

Silvio Claudio Renesto, born in Monza on December 24, 1958. Graduated in Natural Sciences on November 19, 1981, from the University of Milan, with a final grade of 110/110 cum laude. His thesis was published.
From 1983 to 1991, he taught in middle schools. In February 1991, he joined the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Milan as Curator of the Museum of Paleontology and Editor of the Italian Journal of Paleontology and Stratigraphy. Since 2002, he has been an associate professor at the Department of Structural and Functional Biology at the University of Insubria, Varese, currently the Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences.
Research activities: His research focuses primarily on the functional morphology, paleoecology, and paleobiology of Mesozoic fossil reptiles, particularly from the Middle and Late Triassic of Northern Italy, in correlation with contemporary English and North American forms. This has led to numerous international collaborations: with Prof. S. Evans (Imperial College, London), Dr. Nicholas Fraser (Natural History Museum Martinsville, USA, Natural History Museum Aberdeen, UK), and Dr. Spencer Lucas and Dr. Justin Spielmann of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Research on the vertebrate faunas of Middle Triassic localities in the historic paleontological district of Monte San Giorgio, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Milan, the Natural History Museum of Milan, and the Cantonal Museum of Natural History of Lugano, has led to the discovery of new taxa and revisions to the stratigraphic and paleobiogeographic distribution of other groups.
The research results have been published in ninety-seven articles in foreign and Italian scientific journals and presented at several international conferences.
Co-organizer of the Third International Symposium on Lithographic Limestones (1999) and editor of the symposium volume. Scientific director of the international workshop "Eudimorphodon, 30 Years of Discovery," held in Bergamo on November 7, 2003, and editor of the symposium volume.
Membre of the Transnational Scientific Committee for the UNESCO site of MOnte San Giorgio (Italy, Switzerland) fromn 2016 to 2023.
Teaching Activities: For three years, he was responsible for the reptile section of the Vertebrate Paleontology Course for Natural Sciences in Milan. In 2001 and 2002, he held seminars as part of the General and Systematic Paleontology course at the University of Insubria in Varese. Co-supervisor of over thirty undergraduate and graduate theses. Co-author of a coursebook on Vertebrate Paleontology published by Franco Lucisano. Co-responsible for the translation and adaptation of the textbook on Vertebrate Paleontology by Professor M. J. Benton, published by Franco Lucisano Editore.
Since 2002, he has taught the following courses at the University of Insubria:
General Paleontology for the Bachelor's Degree in Analysis and Management of Natural Resources (until 2011-2012)
General Paleontology for the Bachelor's Degree in Environmental and Natural Sciences (from 2012-2013 to present).
Structure and Function in Ancient Vertebrates, for the Master's Degree in Environmental Sciences (2020-2021 and 2021-2022).
Vertebrate Paleontology, for the Bachelor's Degree in Analysis and Management of Natural Resources until 2011-2012.
Italian Paleontological Heritage, for the Master's Degree in Analysis and Management of Natural Resources, until the 2011-2012 academic year
Anatomy and Functional Morphology of the Vertebrate Skeleton for the Master's Degree in Analysis and Management of Natural Resources, until the 2011-2012 academic year
Paleosites and Management of Paleontological Heritage for the Master's Degree in Ecological Sciences (2010-2011 academic year)
Paleoecology and Paleobiology for the Master's Degree in Ecological Sciences (until the 2010-2011 academic year)
Paleoecology for the Master's Degree in Environmental Sciences (from the 2011-2012 academic year to the present)
History of Life for the Master's Degree in Biology and Sustainability (from the 2024-2025 academic year to the 2025-2026 academic year)
Museology Scientific (Module in Museology and Modern Museology) for the Bachelor's Degree in Analysis and Management of Natural Resources (until 2009-2010).
Theories and Techniques of Museum Events (Module in Museology and Modern Museology) for the Bachelor's Degree in Communication Sciences (until 2009-2010).
Outreach activities. Author of two books and about fifty popular articles on paleontological topics. He has served as a scientific consultant on projects involving paleontological rooms at the Natural Science Museums of Bergamo and Brescia. He has given popular lectures in the Georama and NaturInsubria series at the Civic Museum of Natural Sciences of Induno Olona (VA) and Malnate (VA). In the following years continued to hold lectures and seminars in schools and other insitution and was invited in tv and radio interviews.