Daring to Dig

BY BETH STRICKER; ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALANA MCGILLIS

Science is a human endeavor. As a result, the history of science is punctuated by stories of human triumph at its greatest, and stories of ignorance and repression at its worst. The stories found within the careers of women paleontologists throughout the history of the discipline contain both.

Women have played a critical role in the development of the science of paleontology in America, but for many years their accomplishments have been overshadowed by those of men. Daring to Dig highlights the adventures and research achievements of a dozen women paleontologists, both from the past century and active today. The challenges they faced—both societal and scientific—are explored through a series of colorfully illustrated vignettes, as are their successes in overcoming these challenges. This book shows children that paleontology is a science for everyone, and also introduces them to a variety of ancient organisms that are commonly missing from children's books about prehistoric life.