Gregory Scott Paul (born December 24, 1954) is an American freelance researcher, author and illustrator who works in paleontology. He is best known for his work and research on theropoda and his detailed illustrations, both live and skeletal.
Paul's contributions are also notable in the philosophical realm of the problem of evil.
Paleontology
Illustrations
Paul helped pioneer the "new look" of dinosaurs in the 1970s.
[ Gregory S. Paul: The Full Autobiography Part 3] Through a series of dynamic ink drawings and oil paintings he was among the first professional artists to depict them as active,
warm-blooded and – in the case of the small ones – feathered.
Many later dinosaur illustrations are a reflection of his anatomical insights or even a direct imitation of his style.
[ Products & Services - Gregory S. Paul: Available For Projects, Commissions] The fact that he worked closely with paleontologists, did his own independent paleontological research and created a series of skeletal restorations of all sufficiently known dinosaurs, lead many to regard his images as a sort of scientific standard to be followed.
[Naish, D. (2009). The Great Dinosaur Discoveries. A & C Black Publishers Ltd, London. p. 138] This tendency is stimulated by his habit of constantly redrawing older work to let it reflect the latest finds and theories. Much of it is in black-and-white,
[Jane P. Davidson. (2008). A History of Paleontology Illustration, Indiana University Press, p. 180] in ink or colored pencil. Sculptors have used these anatomical templates as a resource for decades,
[Rimell, R. (1995) Building and Painting Model Dinosaurs. Kalmbach Publishers, Wisconsin. p. 40] and still do today
[Debus, Allen and Bob Morales. Dinosaur Sculpting: A Complete Guide (2013) p70, 112, 143] many unauthorized and uncredited.
[Telleria, R. The Visual Guide to Scale Model Dinosaurs (2012), p19, 21.] Even one of his scientific critics, Storrs L. Olson, described him in a review in the
Scientific American as "a superior artist". He was inspired by classic paleoartists such as Charles R. Knight, and has a fondness for the dinosaur restorations of the little-known artist Bill Berry.
Paul's line art and paintings have been published in over 100 popular books and shown in more documentaries than other modern paleoartists
Research
From 1977 to 1984, Paul was an informal research associate and illustrator for
Robert Bakker in the Earth and Planetary Sciences department at Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore.
[ Paul lacks a formal degree in paleontology, but has participated in numerous field expeditions and has authored or co-authored over 30 scientific papers and over 40 popular science articles.][ Paul proposed that some of the bird-like feathered theropods were winged fliers, and that others were secondarily flightless, an idea supported by some fossils from China. Paul proposed the controversial thermoregulation concept of "terramegathermy", which argues that only animals with high basal metabolic rates can exceed one tonne on land.][Paul, G.S., Leahy, G.D. 1994. "Terramegathermy in the Time of the Titans: Restoring the Metabolics of Colossal Dinosaurs." in: Rosenberg, G.D., Wolberg, D.L. (eds). DinoFest. The Paleontological Society Special Publication 7. U. Tenn. Press. Knoxville pp:177–198.]
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Acrocanthosaurus altispinax (species, later renamed Becklespinax altispinax)
[G.S. Paul, 1988, Predatory Dinosaurs of the World. Simon & Schuster, New York pp. 1–464]
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Albertosaurus megagracilis (species, later renamed Dinotyrannus megagracilis, now considered a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex)
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Aublysodon molnari (species, later renamed Stygivenator molnari, now considered a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex)
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Avisaurus archibaldi (genus and species, with Brett-Surman; a bird)
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Giraffatitan brancai (genus)
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Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis (genus)
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Potamornis skutchi (genus and species, with Elzanowski & Stidham; a bird)
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Dollodon bampingi (genus and species)
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Tyrannosaurus imperator (species, criticized by other paleontologists)
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Tyrannosaurus regina (species, criticized by other paleontologists)
Books
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Predatory Dinosaurs of the World (1988)
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The Complete Illustrated Guide to Dinosaur Skeletons (1996)
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Dinosaurs of the Air (2002)
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The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (2010) revised 2016, 2024
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Gregory S. Paul's Dinosaur Coffee Table Book (2010)
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The Princeton Field Guide to Pterosaurs (2022)
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The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles (2022)
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The Princeton Field Guide to Predatory Dinosaurs (2024)
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The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs (editor, 2000)
Paul's Statistical Problem of Evil
Paul's academic specialisation in paleontology brought him into disagreements over the theory of evolution, Paul asserting his belief in it. His article published in the journal Philosophy and Theology in 2007, entitled 'Theodicy's Problem: A Statistical Look at the Holocaust of the Children and the Implications of Natural Evil for the Free Will and Best of All Worlds Hypothesis' publicises Paul's ideas surrounding the natural evil of child death. He says that statistics can be used to assess whether or not God is good based on the numbers of children that die before they can reach an age where they are able to make an informed judgement about religion. Paul rejects the idea that suffering allows us to grow and change, as many children suffer or die before they are able to do these things.
Paul concludes that the universe is not actually perfect for human flourishing, but is rather a death trap for children, and that if there is a God who created the universe, they are not worthy of worship.
See also
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Dinosaur renaissance
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Feathered dinosaurs
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Paleoart
Footnotes
External links
