Science has an Epstein problem. Women in paleontology say it's a symptom of a deeper misogyny

When paleontologist Riley Black learned that several scientists in her field had appeared in the Epstein files, she wasn't remotely shocked. 

The files have revealed the extent of the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's connections not only with powerful politicians and business leaders, but also hundreds of scientists, some of whom accepted funding from him long after his 2008 conviction on soliciting prostitution with a minor. 

Among them are well-known names in paleontology. 

"It's been very upsetting," Black, an independent scientist based in Maryland and author of several books about dinosaurs, said. "It's not particularly surprising."

As the paleontology community reckons with the fallout of these revelations, women in the field say they are a symptom of a deeper misogyny and power imbalance in the field.

CBC spoke to several women in paleontology, both on and off the record, who describe navigating spaces where abuse and harassment are rampant, funding and fame are prioritized above all else and institutions protect established men at the top at the expense of younger women trying to build careers.

Epstein, a billionaire financier, died in a New York City prison cell in 2019 while awaiting a federal trial on charges that include sex trafficking minors. His death was ruled a suicide. The U.S. Department of Justice has been releasing documents related to its case against him since late last year. 

Epstein's connections to paleontologists represent a small slice of his reach within the scientific community. But his interest in evolutionary sciences — and his penchant for dinosaur fossils, in particular — have sent shockwaves through the paleontology community. 

California's Chapman University has cut ties with Jack Horner — one of the world's most famous dinosaur researchers — after it was revealed he'd travelled to Epstein's New Mexico ranch in 2012 to seek funding and that he'd reportedly gone on "fossil hunting" with the billionaire. 

On Aug. 17, 2012, Horner emailed a redacted recipient, thanking them for arranging the visit and signing off: “Please give my best to Jeffrey and the girls.”

Horner, an adviser on several Jurassic Park movies and partial inspiration for the character of Alan Grant, did not respond to CBC requests for comment. 

In a previous statement, cited by BBC News, he said the "girls" he referred to were students, he didn't see anything "weird or suspicious" and he regrets he "did not investigate Epstein's background beyond what was commonly known at the time."

Stuart Sumida, president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP), says there's an obvious reason so many scientists work with Epstein. 

"Funding for science is extremely difficult to get," he said.