How Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to palaeontology are roiling the dinosaur research community

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• DinoCon bans palaeontologists linked to Epstein post-2008.
• Society of Vertebrate Paleontology urges caution and due process.
• Jack Horner admits poor judgment in seeking Epstein's funding.

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The latest release of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein has landed in an unexpected corner of academia: palaeontology.

Emails made public by the US Justice Department show that several scientists with links to dinosaur research corresponded with Epstein years after his 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor. The fallout has now reached professional conferences and scientific societies.

DinoCon draws a line

A British dinosaur convention, DinoCon, announced that certain palaeontologists named in the documents would be barred from attending its July event in Birmingham. In a statement posted on X, the organisers said the decision followed revelations that some individuals allegedly engaged in correspondence with members of the “Epstein organisation” after his conviction, CNN reported.

DinoCon’s co-director Nathan Barling later clarified that the ban applies only to those who had direct contact with Epstein after he became a registered sex offender, not to the hundreds of scientists whose names may appear incidentally in the millions of pages released.

The move signals how seriously parts of the palaeontology community are taking the issue, even as others urge caution.

Professional societies urge due process

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology acknowledged that some members’ names appear in the documents but warned against jumping to conclusions. In a public statement, its executive committee said that simply appearing in emails does not establish wrongdoing.

President Stuart Sumida added that the society would act if credible information emerges under its policies, but called on members to rely on verified facts rather than speculation.

That tension between swift action and due process has defined much of the reaction so far.

Jack Horner and fossil hunts

One of the most prominent names in the documents is Jack Horner, the palaeontologist known for advising the “Jurassic Park” films. Emails released by the Justice Department

show Horner visited Epstein’s New Mexico ranch in 2012 and sought funding for a research summit.

In one email to Epstein’s longtime assistant, Horner thanked them for the visit and described spending time fossil hunting at the ranch. He also referred to “Jeffrey and the girls” as gracious hosts, a phrase he later said he regretted. In a recent statement reported by KTVQ, Horner said he was aware of Epstein’s prior conviction but did not know of additional allegations at the time. He apologized for what he described as “extremely poor judgement” in pursuing Epstein as a donor.

The documents suggest that discussions about funding a summit on reverse engineering dinosaur traits from modern birds may have taken place during those visits. Horner also said he returned to the ranch in 2016 to look for vertebrate fossils, though he stated Epstein was not present then.

Broader connections

The files also reference a fossil hunting trip involving Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Emails show Epstein telling Ghislaine Maxwell that he had gone “dinosaur and fossill hunitng” (sic) with Horner, and Maxwell recalling a similar outing in North Dakota with Kennedy. Maxwell mentioned that trip during an interview last year with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, according to transcripts released by the Justice Department.

CNN reported that it has reached out to Kennedy’s department for comment.

A reckoning beyond palaeontology

Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, had cultivated relationships with scientists for years, including major donations such as $6.5 million to Harvard University’s Program for Evolutionary Dynamics in 2003.

Now, as more documents surface, even specialized fields like palaeontology are confronting uncomfortable questions about funding, proximity and responsibility. For some in the community, the issue is about drawing ethical lines. For others, it is about ensuring accusations are backed by evidence.

Either way, the dinosaur world has found itself pulled into a much larger reckoning.