When those legendary gates of Isla Nublar swung open in 1993, nobody expected what would happen next. The stampede of Gallimimus wasn’t the only thing that would run straight into history. Young students were inspired to study paleontology because of the movie and seek out careers, and there has been rapid growth in the study of fossils, with much of this new generation of scientists inspired by the Jurassic Park movies directly. It seems like a simple question with an obvious answer, but the reality is far more complex and fascinating than most people realize.
The Birth of a Cultural Phenomenon
After “Jurassic Park” premiered June 11, 1993, tens of millions of people flocked to movie theaters to see the captivating creatures that once roamed the planet. The film ignited a firestorm of public interest in dinosaurs and, by extension, paleontology. Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece didn’t just resurrect dinosaurs on screen – it brought an entire scientific field back from the brink of obscurity.
The movie came at the perfect moment in paleontological history. Through the mid part of the 1900s there was a dinosaur renaissance, where there was a spate of interesting research discoveries happening all around the world. “Jurassic Park came at the tail end of that. It took all of this new science and made it public.”
The Golden Age of Dinosaur Discovery
What happened after 1993 wasn’t just coincidence. Researchers, like Edmonton’s Gavin Bradley, use the term “Jurassic Park effect” to refer to a widely-held theory that Jurassic Park led to an increase in paleontologists, research funding and technology. The numbers tell a remarkable story that even the most optimistic scientists couldn’t have predicted.
Paleontology is experiencing a golden age, with approximately 40-50 new dinosaur species discovered each year. Those inspired by the film Jurassic Park as children are now exiting Ph.D. programs and injecting the field with new talent. Roughly 50 new dinosaur species are found each year, giving us a closer look at their prehistoric world like never before.
Meet the Jurassic Park Generation
The evidence isn’t just statistical – it’s personal. He’s a member of the “Jurassic Park” generation – paleontologists who were first inspired by the Steven Spielberg film 25 years ago. Joseph Frederickson from Southwestern Oklahoma State University represents thousands of scientists who trace their career beginnings back to that iconic summer blockbuster.
The “Jurassic” generation is 100 percent a thing. I have colleagues – so many colleagues – who are, you know, in their early 30s who were just children when “Jurassic Park” came out. These aren’t just casual fans who happened to stumble into paleontology. They’re dedicated professionals who’ve shaped the modern understanding of prehistoric life.
From Child’s Wonder to Scientific Career
Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, perfectly embodies this transformation. There is a straight line between “Jurassic Park” and me becoming a paleontologist and then, later, me becoming the paleontology consultant for “Jurassic World,” the most recent film. His journey from nine-year-old moviegoer to scientific consultant represents the full circle of inspiration and achievement.
He saw “Jurassic Park” for the first time in a movie theater when he was 9. And I just remember being flabbergasted by those dinosaurs, being enthralled by them. These dinosaurs were movie monsters, but they were real animals, and they were so different from the dinosaurs in the textbooks we had at school and in the library.
The Scientific Credibility Factor
Unlike many Hollywood treatments of science, Jurassic Park took accuracy seriously. Jack Horner, a Montana State University paleontologist who served as science adviser to the original movie and some of the subsequent ones – and who was the inspiration for Dr. Alan Grant, the fictional paleontologist portrayed by actor Sam Neill in the first movies. This commitment to scientific authenticity gave the film credibility that resonated with aspiring young scientists.
“Jurassic Park” made not only dinosaurs cool, but also the scientists who have devoted their lives to studying them. The film offered a fresh view of scientists whom children like Farke might look to as role models. But in “Jurassic Park,” the scientists were people whom the audience could identify with.
Breaking Gender Barriers in Paleontology
One of the most significant impacts of the movie wasn’t just about increasing numbers – it was about changing demographics. When I started, back in the late ’80s, I had a few students that wanted to work with me and dig up dinosaurs. They were all guys. Then, the movie came out and an incredible number of people wanted to be paleontologists.
The character of Dr. Ellie Sattler, played by Laura Dern, provided a strong female role model in a field that had been predominantly male. This representation helped break down barriers and encouraged more diverse participation in paleontological careers than ever before seen in the field’s history.
The Academic Recognition
The scientific community itself acknowledged this unprecedented influence. “Paleontology as a field owes a huge debt of gratitude to ‘Jurassic Park.’ I think our field would be very, very different today if ‘Jurassic Park’ had never happened,” says Steve Brusatte. In 2013, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology presented filmmaker Steven Spielberg with an award to recognize the effect the movie has had on the field.
This wasn’t just a polite gesture. The formal recognition from the profession’s most important organization demonstrates how profoundly the film transformed paleontology from a niche academic pursuit into a field that attracts some of the brightest minds in science.
Beyond Dinosaurs: The Technology Revolution
The technology imagined in Jurassic Park has also been a driving force, and today more people are devoting their lives to the study of dinosaurs. The film didn’t just inspire people to study fossils – it sparked imagination about what might be possible with advancing technology and genetic research.
Since 1993, DNA science has developed so much that this premise is no longer a far-fetched science fiction plot. The film – and its science – have influenced and shaped research not only in paleontology, but also in genetic technologies. In a somewhat prescient move related to genetic science, Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal, was born three years after Jurassic Park was released.
The Double-Edged Sword of Popular Science
Not everything about the Jurassic Park effect has been purely positive. Some paleontologists see the dinosaur frenzy stirred up by the “Jurassic Park” movies as a “double-edged sword,” because the dinosaurs aren’t all depicted accurately in the films. The movie took creative liberties that continue to influence public perception decades later.
The popularity of the movie lead to a major increase in the illegal collection of dinosaur bones and fossils. Prices skyrocketed, and auction houses moved from selling old works of art to start selling dinosaur bones on the market for huge sums of money to wealthy private individuals. This rise in the price for dinosaur fossils lead to increased poaching of sites on public lands, and the export of bones around the world.
The Lasting Educational Impact
Scientists make use of that. Museum curators can anticipate visitors’ questions and design displays to answer them. Paleontologists can also hold outreach events linked to the latest movie in the franchise. “It’s the point of entry for talking about the science that we do with so many people,” says Dr. Stocker.
The film continues to serve as a bridge between complex scientific concepts and public understanding. A six-year-old took one of Bradley’s online courses a dozen times before traveling from the United States to the University of Alberta for a lab tour. “It’s really cool for me to think that a course … could be the Jurassic Park for this next generation,” he said.
Conclusion: A Legacy Written in Stone
The question isn’t really whether Jurassic Park inspired a generation of scientists – the evidence is overwhelming that it did. This newfound popularity set off a sequence of events that would ultimately bring a flood of new scientists, kick off a golden age of dinosaur discoveries, and forever change paleontology. The real marvel is how completely it transformed not just individual career paths, but an entire scientific discipline.
From kindergarteners running to movie theaters to Ph.D. candidates defending dissertations about velociraptor pack behavior, the ripple effects continue to shape our understanding of prehistoric life. We are finding more dinosaurs and more prehistoric animals than we ever have before at a rate that is just unprecedented. And it’s not going to stop anytime soon because we have an army of paleontologists who are chomping at the bit to get out there who are all starting their careers right now. Three decades later, that summer blockbuster isn’t just entertainment history – it’s scientific history in the making. Who would’ve thought a movie about resurrected dinosaurs would help resurrect an entire field of science?
