Born in 1950 in Normandy, Eric Buffetaut studied geology and paleontology at the University of Paris. After a doctorate degree on Crocodilian Cretaceous of Niger, he joined the CNRS in 1976 and it is within this institution that runs from his career (he is currently Director of Research).

After a doctorate sciences on the evolution of crocodilians, defended in 1981, Eric Buffetaut was directed towards the study of other groups of vertebrate fossils, including dinosaurs, pterosaurs and birds primitive. His research on the ground were conducted in Canada, Mali, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, South Korea, China and Thailand.

His current research include the dinosaurs and other vertebrates from the Upper Cretaceous

of South France, and the evolution of vertebrates Mesozoic faunas in Southeast Asia, in collaboration with the Geological Survey of Thailand. He is also co-director of the Center for Research Palaeontology of the University of Maha Sarakham, Thailand. The research conducted in Thailand and have led to the discovery of the oldest known tyrannosaurus, and the first Triassic dinosaur sauropode. The dinosaurs of the Adriatic platform is another of its current areas of research, in collaboration with paleontologists Slovenia.

Another theme addressed by paleontological Eric Buffetaut is the major extinctions, and in particular at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, caused by an asteroid impact, which caused among other things, the disappearance of the dinosaurs.

It is also interested in the history of paleontology, and has published several books on the subject.

Eric Buffetaut a founding member of the Dinosaur Museum of Espraza (Aude), and is currently president of the Association Dinosauria, which manages the museum.

Eric Buffetaut is Professor Honoris Causa from the University of Bucharest (Romania). Buffetaut Eric is the author of about 400 scientific articles and books.