- We Like Janet (Paleo Errata)
- Giant Trilobites (Science Daily and Gombessa Girl)
- Acid preparation, Part 1 (The Coastal Paleontologist)
- If I were a geologist on Star Trek... (Magma Cum Laude - Who is planning on seeing the new Star Trek movie by the way???)
- Geological Movie Review of Dante's Peak - Part 1 (Dino Jim's Musings)
I am also still soliciting comments for my post on "Keep your head down? What would you do?" Please give it a read and let me know what you think. There are a few great comments already but I would like to hear more perspectives.
And one more:
- The panel-mounted Anchiceratops (Tetrapod Zoology - have I mentioned how awesome this blog is?! And Darren Naish, such a sweet guy ;) Its is a good post (and series of post on ceratopsians. Check it out!)
Keep an eye out for another instalment of Fieldwork Friday and an update on my poor boots!
© ReBecca K. Hunt-Foster
7 comments:
Hi ReBecca - I found your blogs while trying to answer a burning question that perhaps has occurred to you before. Why do archaeologists outnumber paleontologists on bookshelves and in movies? I'm trying to make a list of fictional paleontologists beyond Ross, Bringing up Baby, and Amanda Quick's Ravished (and I decline to include any of Michael Crichton's characters). I'm sure you and your readers know waaaaay more about this, so please clue us clueless writers in at Damned Scribbling Women. http://dscribwomen.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
Hi Anna. Thanks for the comment. I have wondered that before!! If you do not mind I will pose the question to the readers here and lets see what all we come up with! :)
I believe it is because many people simply do not know the difference between the two professions and for some reason archaeologist is easier to remember and say. Even where I work (a paleontology park)quite a few of the staff often joke when they stutter through or mispronounce the word paleontologist, yet have no problem with "archaeologist".
As far as the confusion goes, if you tell someone you do paleontology they will start talking about pottery and arrowheads, wheareas if you say you do archaeology they bring up the dinosaur bones that Uncle Bob has in his yard. Drives both professions crazy.
This popularization often makes archaeology look exciting and paleontologists as a bunch of lab coat wearing geeks. However, as many of us know it is the paleontologists who have the fun and adventures while the archaeologists are stuck doing compliance!
Thanks for the link. You just made that my second most visited blog post.
Cool! Glad it upped your traffic!
Thanks for the random posts, helped me get caught up on some reading!
Another related question - I've told people I was a geologist (not palaeontologist) and they started talking about arrowheads! Maybe some people don't have any idea what any kind of geologist does? A rock or fossil = arrowhead?
Maybe, as far as movies go, there is more romance associated with the kind of archaeologist that travels to the mideast and places like that, compared to collecting any kind of fossil but dinosaur bones or doing any kind of geology besides volcanology. We do see movies about volcanoes with geologists, and a few movies like Jurassic Park with - palaeontologists?
Maybe people think that since arrowheads are made of rock we should know about them. I also run into this problem often.
I forgot that there is a new version of "Land of the Lost" that is going to be a movie. Not sure if Will Farrell is a paleontologist in that movie or just a generic adventure/scientist.
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