Ruben Arthur Stirton (1901-1966), known to his friends as "Stirt",[1] was an American paleontologist, specializing in mammals, who was active in South America, the United States and Australia.
Stirton was closely associated with the University of California Museum of Paleontology, receiving an appointment as curator in 1930 and as its fourth director from 1949 to 1966.
[2] Stirton was the leading author of papers that described new taxa, including the Vombatiformes genera Rhizophascolonus and Litokoala, which were published posthumously in 1967.
[4] Stirton's students recall him as a popular lively lecturer, noting his rendition of the call of the Australian dingo as an example of his enthusiasm.
[2] In 1979, fellow paleontologist Patricia Vickers-Rich named the prehistoric species Dromornis stirtoni (colloquially known as Stirton's thunderbird) after this researcher, which is possibly the largest bird ever.