Despite on-screen discussions of genetics and the involvement of scientific advisors, viewers don’t expect realism from the *Jurassic Park* franchise. Yet one of the less believable moments in *Jurassic World Rebirth*, the latest installment, doesn’t involve oversized dinosaurs—it’s the paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis lamenting declining public interest in his field.
This year, the BBC brought back its 1999 series *Walking With Dinosaurs*. New species discoveries and theories about dinosaur behavior make headlines weekly. Books exploring dinosaurs—both factual and fictional, especially for younger readers—appear constantly. Paleontology, particularly when focused on Mesozoic-era dinosaurs or early human ancestors, maintains a strong grip on public fascination.
However, as historian of science Dr. Chris Manias notes in the 2023 essay collection *Paleontology in Public*, the field remains marginal in academic prestige and funding. (Dinosaurs represent just a fraction of the discipline; most fossils studied are invertebrates, microbes, or plants. A film about stromatolites seems unlikely.)
The appeal likely stems from the sheer size and ferocity of species like *Spinosaurus*, the wonder of reconstructing ancient life from fragments of rock, and connections to myths of dragons and other legendary beasts. Pop culture has long fueled this curiosity: the Crystal Palace dinosaur sculptures, made in the 1850s to spark interest in scientific discoveries (with input from Richard Owen, who coined "dinosaur"), or Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1912 novel *The Lost World*, depicting a prehistoric world surviving in isolation. Many modern paleontologists credit childhood viewings of *Jurassic Park* for inspiring their careers.
Scientific developments have also played a key role. During the 19th-century "Bone Wars," U.S. paleontologists Othniel Marsh and Edward Cope prioritized fame over academic ethics. The 1960s "dinosaur renaissance" redefined the creatures as more dynamic and complex. Fossils of feathered dinosaurs from China in the 1990s transformed our understanding—though *Jurassic* filmmakers still resist depicting a fluffy *T. rex*. Today, experts name a new dinosaur species roughly weekly, with technology revealing unprecedented details about their lives.
The first *Jurassic Park* featured a theme park populated by resurrected dinosaurs. The new film’s storyline revolves around a pharmaceutical company hunting prehistoric DNA for medical advances.
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