Behind the Bones 2014

This is my Woodrow Wilson capstone project, a documentary called Behind the Bones: The Status of Modern Paleontology Research in the United States. It was filmed using a Sony Handycam HDR CX290 and my iPhone 4 (for the times I had forgotten to bring the camcorder). It was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend, who thought that paleontology was antiquated and held no scientific promise anymore. This opinion reflects sentiments I've seen again and again on the internet, mostly in comments on news stories of new dinosaurs or in editorials.

So, I decided to show the American public that American paleontology is a part of our history and will be a part of our future. It features top paleontologists from around the country who study different aspects of paleontology, and asks them questions about what their experiences have been in paleontology, and how they first became interested in dinosaurs. Filmed on location in Baltimore, MD; New York, NY; Calvert Cliffs, MD; College Park, MD; Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA; and Stony Brook, NY.

Paleontologists: David B. Weishampel, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions), Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. (UMD College Park), Catherine Forster, Ph.D. (George Washington University), Peter Dodson, Ph.D. (UPenn College of Veterinary Medicine), Peter Makovicky, Ph.D. (The Field Museum of Natural History), Ted Daeschler, Ph.D. (Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, Drexel University), and Professor John "Jack" Horner (Montana State University and the Museum of the Rockies).

The students featured are my friends and/or former students and I freely admit that without their input and selfless contributions to the project, I would not have been satisfied with the ending project.

A huge thank you to my mentor, Dave Weishampel, who first sponsored me to be in the Woodrow Wilson Research Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University, and who has been a constant source of advice and support ever since. To the incomparable Ami Cox: you are the glue holding the Wilson group together, and I believe I speak for everyone when I say how amazing you are and how lost we would all be without you behind us to cheer us on. Dave and Ami, you two were the first people in my life who understood my passion for dinosaurs without question or mockery. It means everything to me to spend time on my work instead of on justifying it to the skeptics, and I hope I have made you proud.

[jessicanoviello]

Hi everyone! Thank you for watching this video. If you like it, please share it so we can get the word out about why paleontology matters. Helping one science will increase the overall scientific literacy of the public, making individuals more interested in every field. We still have so many questions about the world and science is the best tool we have to answer them. Thanks so much again, and happy sciencing!

[Wheja_sciart]

Finally! A documentary that doesn't just talk about the animals, but the ideas they represent and the people behind them. It's something we don't see in many films, and we definitely need more discussions about this.

[Thandiel]

I'm so glad I stumbled across this documentary. I'm a senior in high school, and ever since I was little I've been captivated by paleontology. So much so that I can imagine devoting the rest of my life to it. However, the biggest challenge I face is people (parents, friends, teachers) telling me that there's not a lot of money in the field and it's not that useful anyway. I really love the argument that this documentary makes that paleontology is so much more than just identifying dinosaurs, but rather it uncovers the complex history of life on earth, which we ourselves are a part of. Knowing that paleontology is a growing field motivates me to continue to pursue my interests. So, thank you for making this documentary. You're my hero 

[hmpz]

What's interesting here is the difference between a doc like yours and the usual docs we get to see. This is pure. The content wasn't tainted by a need to keep the ratings vultures pleased.

Was very cool to see the ANSP represented here as well, as it's my home museum. Thanks a million for making this!

[RachaelJurassic]

Very well put together. Although I haven't been in the field for 15 years I still call myself a palaeontologist. This film made me rather nostalgic for the many years I spent going to the SVP conference and many summers collecting my fossils in Wyoming. One of my most fun memories - watching Jurassic Park, not long after it came out, at my advisors house with Jack Horner as he gave us a live commentary. :-)
Favourite dinosaur? Stegosaurus. I'd always liked it but then I found the earliest (at least at the time) known fossil of a stegosaur and that kinda sealed it!
Thanks for trying to explain to the world that palaeontology isn't 'dead' and that there's a little more to it than was depicted in Jurassic Park. ;-)

[Marcosaur]

I'm loving this. Thank you very much.

[psiclops]

I'm one of those aging nerd types who loves seeing hardcore science videos and learning about...everything.  So now I'm on a paleontology kick and here comes Jessica with this great video.  Thanks Jessica.  When you said "deltopectoral crest", I felt like I was listening to a symphony.

[The_Lord_Of_Confusion]

Tanks for such a great documentary! Please make more :)

[Palex]

Thanks a lot Jessica for taking the time and effort to make this film! I really enjoyed it, because I'm so tired of watching all those CGI dino documentaries that mainly rely on the visuals, and forget about all the interesting stuff. If I wanna see some stupid CGI I can always watch Jurassic Park again! And if you make more documentaries like this in the future, I suggest looking into recording the audio separately, to capture it better without so much background noise, and it would also be easier to hear what people are saying. I hope you could make a similar documentary someday about paleontologists working in the field. Thanks again and keep up the great work! :)

[israelhoskins]

Very enjoyable work this is mam, thank you! Amazing work!!!!

[VexatiousHopesPopCultMusicVids]

This is a fantastic documentary. Very informative and intriguing. I loved it! :)

[sandrapizarro]

Thanks you for this video and bringing the importance of paleontology to the surface. I've heard a lot about how paleontology is a dying field and so on! It doesn't stop me from pursuing my dream in becoming a paleontologist because my fascination with dinosaurs has never died out since I was a young girl. I'm an undergrad student majoring in environmental sciences. I live in Philadelphia, but there aren't too many paleontology majors, which sucks! :-(

[bryanrobles]

Visited the Calvert Cliffs once years ago (I'm from the west coast) and one of my greatest thrills was to find a well-preserved shell of the gastropod Ecphora, one of the first fossil specimens of North America ever described (in the 1700s.)

[dunneyd]

thanks so much Jessica you are the first person I've ever heard describe what a dinosaur actually is.

[kowetas]

Really enjoyed this. Interesting with some great interviews, and as a filmmaker i have to say not a badly put together documentary.

[tommym]

Thanks for sharing your project Jessica, enjoyed it. 

[OutdoorsWithJosh]

Very informative video, I'm also getting big into Paleontology and dinosaurs in general.

[LegendaryCatalyst]

First I would like to say that I really enjoyed your documentary! I found it both entertaining and informative. I know you touched a little bit on the lack of women represented in the field, but I was really hoping that you would also touch a bit on the lack of minorities that are represented as well. I only know of a small number, and I think it would’ve been helpful and interesting to get feedback from current Paleontologist who identify as a minority. Even to hear feedback from the people you did interview on why they think there is such a lack of diversity in the field of Paleontology would’ve been a great addition.

[thearchaicameteur]

What a wonderful video!! This was VERY informative, as well as fun to watch!! For someone like me, who is strongly considering Paleontology as a career, this video is definitely the best on Youtube, hands down. Desperately wanting to get out of the house, and into a museum to observe, where would you suggest I start? What museum is the best for that sort of thing? I would love to know what your answer would be! Thank you!

[dinosaurfan]

What's that you are in at 1:08? Is that part of Sue's exhibit?