I'm a Paleontologist specializing in dinosaurs. AMA!

How often do you have to put up with jokes likening you to Ross from Friends?

Daily.

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The latter. The Gigantosaurs would hunt individually and wouldn't act as a group.

technically, the Giganotosaurus sized Compsognathus would hunt alone as well! hehe. sorry. I will walk myself out...

Size DOES matter.

How much is known about a dinosaur's skin, or is everything we see depicted totally made up?

It's made up. We can't discern the traits of a dinosaur's skin with current technology.

Have you ever had a surprise while on a dig? Say you went expecting a single bone and unearthed a full skeleton? What made you get into Palaeontology and how hard was it to secure a job in your field?

Q: Have you ever had a surprise while on a dig? A: I once found a raptor torso while searching for a Baryonyx. That was cool.

Q:What made you get into Paleontology? A: Jurassic Park. Grant was a badass.

I'll answer some more questions later. I'm heading out for dinner.

how influenced were you influenced by the book/movie Jurassic Park?

Very. I nearly renamed myself Alan.

Did the Tyrannosaurus have feathers?

We don't know. Yutyrannus Huali, a close relative, is the only Tyrannosaur known to have possessed feathers.

You have to have sex with a dinosaur.
Which one do you choose?

Triceratops. It was rather horny. (BUM DUM TISS)

You were waiting for this weren't you.

Yeah.

Don't you mean torosaurus? Or is that still up for debate?

The Torosaurus is the mature form of the Triceratops. They're still considered two separate species.

What is it like living every kid's dream?

Pure joy.

On this note, my son (6) wanted to be a "space paleontologist" (his words, we watch a lot of Dino Dan and Dinosaur Train) until some jackleg told him there aren't dinosaurs in space. He's still pretty disappointed. Do you have any bits of awesome that might lift his spirits about 'doing' paleontology on terra firma?

He could become a space archaeologist, which is pretty close. If he's still bummed, tell him that any child interested in science DESERVES to fulfill his dream.

So how is the everyday life of a palentologist? Do you hit the books a lot, and do you often get the chance to do field studies? Do you take a lot of courses in geology?

It's great. There's a nice balance between field work and indoor research.

THIS SHALL BE MY ANSWER FOR THE TWO QUESTIONS BELOW

If I were an eccentric billionaire how much would it cost to buy a complete dinosaur skeleton? Assuming I want something huge like a T-rex or Diplodicus

Several million dollars. Museums love dinos.

Why has the perception of dinosaurs changed in the past decade (Why has it gone from giant lizards to giant birds, skin to feathers etc.). And what you say if I said I wanted you on a research team to Isle Sorna?

Well, genetics has reshaped the perception of birds and dinosaurs radically - some contend that dinosaurs were birds.

Isla Sorna? Sure! What could go wrong, right? Right? Guys?

Where are the main places that you find dinosaur bones in The USA?

The west, primarily.

Which dinosaur would have been the best to ride in the garden of eden?

Define "best".

Hmm good question. Loyalty/utility/badassery.

T-Rex.

inb4 cliches

I have heard you cloned a t-rex and it is now your girlfriend. Is this true?

Yeah. She's a bit loud, though.

Don't listen to what society says. Be proud.

DINOSAUR RIGHTS! Our symbol shall be a rainbow-colored Stegosaurus.

Do you know any christians in your profession?

Yeah. They're pretty stupid and obnoxious. I don't have a problem with religious folk, though.

Is there any possibility that we could find some intact DNA from a dinosaur? Maybe something preserved in amber? I would love to see a dinosaur one day, and I heard Russians were trying to do that with wooly mammoths.

DNA deteriorates over time, so I doubt it.