Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra

Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra (1905 – 1975) was a South African palaeontologist whose work focused on the mammal-like reptiles of the Middle (Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone) and Late Permian, whose fossil remains are common in the South African Karoo. He was the author of a large number of papers on Therapsids and Pareiasaurs, and described and revised a number of species.

Work In 1927 Boonstra was appointed Assistant Palaeontologist of the South African Museum and promoted to Palaeontologist in 1931. He remained at the museum until his retirement in 1972. He was the sole curator of the museum's Karoo vertebrate fossil collection for 45 years.