Björn Olof Lennartson Kurtén (1924–1988) was a distinguished vertebrate paleontologist. He belonged to the Finland-Swedish minority in Finland. He was also the author of an acclaimed series of books about modern man's encounter with Neanderthals, such as Dance of the Tiger (1978, 1980).

When asked what genre his works belonged in, Kurten coined the term paleofiction to describe his ouevre.