Dr. Jack Horner, technical advisor to and partial inspiration for the “Jurassic Park” movies, will speak at a fundraiser for Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History at 7 p.m. Friday, April 1, in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
Horner’s lecture, “Dinosaurs of the Past, the Present, and the Future,” will cover how perceptions on dinosaurs have changed over time and how more research will continue to change these perceptions.
Horner’s own research has greatly impacted the way dinosaurs are viewed. His team discovered the first evidence of parental care in dinosaurs. He was also the first to discover dinosaur embryos. This research has caused a transition from seeing dinosaurs as cold-blooded reptilian creatures to bird-like animals who interacted with each other and their environment in complex ways.
Horner has published eight books, 50 articles and more than 120 papers. New Scientist Magazine described his book “Digging Dinosaurs” as one of the 200 most important science books of the 20th century.
“Dr. Horner was my master’s advisor at Montana State University, and he has served as a mentor to me ever since,” said Dr. Laura Wilson, assistant professor of geosciences at FHSU and curator of paleontology at the Sternberg Museum. “To hear him speak on his research and future developments is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Horner will also speak at a gala event at the museum on Saturday, April 2. All proceeds from both events will go directly towards renovating the Museum’s paleontology lab
Horner currently serves as curator of paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies and Regents Professor of Paleontology at Montana State University. He is also a senior adjunct scientist at the Smithsonian Institute.
Horner worked as the technical advisor for all four “Jurassic Park” movies and on the FOX television show “Terra Nova.” He has been featured on National Geographic, the Discovery Channel and the show “60 Minutes.”
Tickets to the event are $10 for general admission and $5 for museum members and FHSU students. To reserve tickets, contact the Sternberg Museum of Natural History at 785-628-4286.