Dino Hunters

Look, I'm a science geek. I get it. But this is a reality TV show. It's entertainment, not science. Looking to a reality TV show for real science would be like looking to a reality TV show to find a decent president. It just ain't happening.

Some of my fellow geeks and nerds are complaining that this show is bad science and promotes illegal fossil hunting. I'd say those are unfair complaints. Again, don't look to TV reality shows for science. If you don't find the show entertaining then don't watch it, but there's little point in complaining that the show isn't something that it wasn't intended to be. And the fact is that the fossil hunting on this show is perfectly legal in the jurisdictions where the show was filmed. The fossil hunters are land owners hunting on their own land, or have the permission of the land owners to hunt fossils. There's nothing illegal going on that I can see.

The more general complaint is that the commercialization of fossils is harmful to science. But the fact is that if these land owners and hunters weren't looking for these fossils they'd erode to dust within fairly short order. The fossils being found on the show are already partially exposed to the elements or are near the surface, and the reason they're being found is because the land is rapidly eroding and uncovering them. If they aren't dug up by someone they'll soon be lost to science anyway.

The Society for Vertebrate Paleontology has written a letter to the Discovery Channel complaining about commercialized fossil hunting in general, and about this show in particular because the cast lacks diversity (there are only a few women and one possible person of color featured on the show) and some of the show's promotional material included reference to a felon who has been convicted of fossil theft.

I'm as sensitive to diversity as the next liberal geek, but just how many women or people of color own ranch land in Montana, Wyoming, or South Dakota who are also interested in fossil hunting as a means of making a living? Keeping the show within legal bounds appears to be the limiting factor on diversity, not any conscious decision on the part of the Discovery Channel. And so far I've seen no actual mention of the felon they were complaining about in the show, so maybe the letter from the SVP had some positive impact.

My advice is to watch the show if you're interested in amateur fossil hunting. Avoid it if the lack of real science turns you off (and please avoid voting reality TV show stars into high political office). But remember that if these guys weren't digging these fossils up no one else would, and they'd be lost to both erosion and science.

I think this show pretty good. People searching for dinosaur bones mostly on there own property and having fun doing it! Message to the negative reviewer (s)You have the right to sell whatever dino bones you find and there's nothing that can be done about it so get over it!

Reading some reviews I'm appalled some people think they have the right to judge what someone does on their own land. There are millions if not billions of dinosaur fossils to be found and everyone of them that these land owners find can lead to more discovery's. If anything this show puts the spotlight on illegal digs and showcases how meticulous these ranchers are in their documentation and their problem with poachers which just destroy scientific sites. Thinking museums are all goody goody just means they have no education in the methods used by them in the past. More museums are now able to purchase fossils from legitimate diggers.

Based on the comments, it sounds like a lot of scientists are jealous that these farmers can dig up dinosaurs on their own land and they cannot. Tall poppies syndrome?

At the end of the day is it 100% scientifically accurate? Probably not. Do I care? No, as it give a little bit of an in site into the world of bones and fossils. i.e. I didn't realise how much effort went into digging it up and restoring it to look like they do in a museum display. That was pretty interesting and something new that was learned.

Do I care if they make a buck? No i do not as at the end of the day it is their land and if they didn't dig them up they would turn to dust anyway.

Has the show made me want to buy some dinosaur fossils? absolutely, didn't even know that was a thing. What is wrong with private collectors want a tooth, a small bone or a claw? They seem to be priced reasonably well and it sounds like Museums already have more than they want.

Do I want a season 2? Absolutely as can't wait to see some more full bodies dug up and cleaned up and eventually maybe end up assembled as a display somewhere.

I'm delighted to hear how educated and knowledgeable these "hunters" are about dinosaurs, and where even tiny fossils fit in its origins.

One of the *very few* reality shows that doesn't have fake, scripted drama to use as filler in an episode.