The Real-Life Paleontology Feud That Made It Into The Lost World: Jurassic Park – Looper

Crichton's novel "Jurassic Park," published in 1990, provided the source concepts for the entire "Jurassic Park" universe. The authorhas had over a dozen of his novels adapted for film, including "The Andromeda Strain," "The Terminal Man," and "Coma." As with all his projects, Crichton did a great deal of hard research before putting pen to paper on "Jurassic Park" and its sequel, "The Lost World" (via Smithsonian Magazine).

While undoubtedly taking outrageous liberties for artistic effect, there is some serious science hiding behind (or at least inspiring) the movies. Genetic engineering, gene splicing, DNA editing, and cloning are all thriving disciplines in the 21st century. "De-extinction" efforts to bring back long-dead species may be closer to success than many people realize (via The New York Times), and corporate ownership of genetic information, or "biobanking," is a genuine bioethical controversy.

The scientific basis for a theme park of dinosaur clones may be a stretch, but the original movie did employ reputable dinosaur experts as advisors (via ThoughtCo). One ongoing controversy among paleontologists involving the true nature of the T. Rex even made it on-screen in 1997's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park."

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The Real-Life Paleontology Feud That Made It Into The Lost World: Jurassic Park - Looper