A major dinosaur and paleontology convention has been thrown into turmoil after announcing that “a select number of scientists, authors, and researchers” would be barred from the 2026 edition of the event after showing up in the Epstein files.
In a statement posted on its social media channels, the organizers of DinoCon said they were banning unnamed figures from the paleontology community who had maintained communication with financier Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction for the procurement of minors to engage in prostitution.
Highlights
- A major dinosaur convention banned paleontologists who maintained contact with Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction, stirring major controversy.
- John R. ‘Jack’ Horner faced scrutiny for emails with Epstein, admitting poor judgment but denying awareness of wrongdoing.
- DinoCon also excluded execs from organizations failing to issue similar Epstein-related bans, demanding stronger community action.
- Epstein’s funding helped him penetrate science circles, continuing to seek research support even after his criminal conviction.
- Online reactions to DinoCon's move vary; some praise the stand, while others caution exclusion based solely on file appearances.
DinoCon has been thrown into turmoil by dinosaur experts' links to Jeffrey Epstein
“We find it deplorable that some established palaeontological organisations are not taking firm action to protect their members in light of these allegations,” the statement said, adding that executive committee members from organizations not issuing similar bans were also barred from the event.
DinoCon did not cite specific names in its statement, but the announcement quickly drew online attention to some well-known paleontologists who appeared in a newly released tranche of Epstein-related documents.
One scientist whose name has circulated in connection with the files is John R. ‘Jack’ Horner, a longtime paleontologist and former Montana State University professor.
In a personal statement, Horner said he knew Epstein had been charged and served a sentence, but said he did not know the full scope of Epstein’s conduct.
“No amount of money in the world would have lured me to meet with a known sexual predator,” Horner told local outlet KBZK.
KBZK reported Horner appeared in multiple emails, including in a message in which he thanked Epstein and referred to “the girls” who were present during a 2012 visit to Epstein’s New Mexico ranch.
In his statement, Horner said the 2012 trip involved a discussion of a potential donation to support his “DinoChicken Project,” and that Epstein ultimately declined to fund the project beyond a smaller amount later routed to the Museum of the Rockies.
Paleontologist Jack Horner's correspondences with Jeffrey Epstein have come under scrutiny
Horner said the group he met at the ranch included Epstein, staff, and four women introduced as college students, and that he did not observe anything “weird, inappropriate, or out of the ordinary,” according to the statement.
He told KBZK he later regretted pursuing Epstein as a potential donor and described the decision as “extremely poor judgement.”
People, citing material included in the release, reported that documents and messages reference Robert F. Kennedy Jr. taking part in a “dinosaur bone hunting” trip with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Online reactions to the announcement from DinoCon were decidedly mixed, with some praising the organization for “taking a stand” and “standing up.”
Others questioned the organization’s exclusion of people based purely on appearing in the files.
The Justice Department has emphasized that inclusion in the released material does not itself prove wrongdoing.
Documents newly released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act suggest his connections to researchers were broader than previously known. The pedophile socialite developed ties with scientists and other intellectuals by funding research and making donations—support that helped him gain access to labs, conferences, and influential social circles.
He cultivated relationships across multiple areas of science and tech, often positioning himself as a patron of ambitious, high-prestige work. Even after his 2008 conviction, accounts describe him continuing to seek out introductions and dinners, and inviting pitches for funding from prominent researchers.
Jeffrey Epstein cultivated close links with economic and intellectual elites
DinoCon is the UK’s biggest dinosaur and paleontology conference, according to the organizers, and is scheduled to be held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole in July.
Amid the fallout from the latest cache of Epstein files, it has become an unusual flashpoint, bringing a long-running scandal into a corner of the science community that rarely draws such scrutiny.