Interviews: Ask What You Will of Paleontologist Jack Horner 208
John "Jack" R. Horner is the Curator of Paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies, adjunct curator at the National Museum of Natural History, and one of the most famous paleontologists in the world. Known in the scientific community for his research on dinosaur growth and whether or not some species lived in social groups, he is most famous for his work on Jurassic Park and being the inspiration for the character of Alan Grant. Horner caused quite a stir with the publication of his book, How to Build a Dinosaur: Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever, in which he proposes creating a "chickensaurus" by genetically "nudging" the DNA of a chicken. Jack has agreed to step away from the genetics lab and put down the bones in order to answer your questions. As usual, you're invited to ask as many questions as you'd like, but please divide them, one question per post.
Is it in theory possible to get dinosaur DNA? (Score:5, Interesting)
Chickensaurus? (Score:5, Interesting)
If I were going to fund 1 program, which should I fund chickensaurus over resurrecting a Neanderthal, Woolly Mammoth, or a Tasmanian Tiger? I mean they are all valid – but please make your case on why you should go first.
The Evolution of Paleontology (Score:5, Interesting)
Paleocene dinosaurs (Score:4, Interesting)
On to my actual question: what do you think about the possible existence of Paleocene dinosaurs? I understand that any current fossil evidence for their existence is likely caused by reworked fossils. How likely do you believe it is that a particular dinosaur taxon survived a few million years after the extinction event, and what would be the implications of this occurring?
Job Elements (Score:4, Interesting)
Dinosaur skin (Score:4, Interesting)
Slightly off base from your normal work, how often is dinosaur skin, or its impression, found when fossils are located and has any type of color ever been found associated with the skin?
Re:comments about the movie Jurassic Park? (Score:4, Interesting)
Should the raptors have feathers?
K-T Extinction Event (Score:4, Interesting)
The Known Unknowns (Score:5, Interesting)
How many more dinosaurs to discover? (Score:5, Interesting)
This one is from my 6-year-old boy, Will. We're currently reading a book about dinosaurs (he gets three per bedtime). He wants to know, "how many dinosaurs haven't been discovered yet?" One of his favorites is one that was discovered in China fairly recently (many of the famous ones seem to come from the US midwest from the early part of last century).
While his question is impossible to answer on its own, do paleontologists have a sense of whether the types of soils likely to hold fossils have been well explored, or if we've merely scratched the surface [sic] of what's to come?
Why not start with an emu? (Score:4, Interesting)
Why start with a chicken instead of an Emu or Cassowary? Those large flightless birds already look a lot more like dinosaurs than a chicken. They even have 3 toes. With a longer tail and some teeth they would seem very dinosaur-like.
Re:The Evolution of Paleontology (Score:1, Interesting)
I saw some of the mammoth and mastadon fossils found in Snowmass Villaige, CO when they were displayed at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. One of the guides there said they intentionally took only 10% of the specimens from the site, specifically because they don't know what sort of new techniques and technology will be developed in the next 50-100 years to extract and study them.
Paleontology as a Career (Score:5, Interesting)
My son is a sophomore in college and is consider a career in paleontology. I don't really know how to advise him and not sure of the prospects. He has the passion, grades and ambition. What advice would you have for a young person enter the field and what undergraduate degree would you recommend.