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Palaeontologia Electronica http://palaeo-electronica.orgA SOMEWHAT FUZZY SNAPSHOT OF EMPLOYMENT IN PALEONTOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES.Roy E. PlotnickIn one of my favorite Sidney Harris cartoons, a had a paleontologist had only one of them (“thedispirited looking gentleman at a cocktail party typical lone paleontologist.”)remarks “My mistake was going into cosmology for With the help of Cindy Martinez of AGI, I havethe money.” (Sidney Harris is a long-time contribu- been able to obtain the original database of pale-tor to the American Scientist and the New Yorker ontologists used in 2007 version of the Directorymagazines). Of course, none of us went into pale- (names removed). This allows a more detailed pic-ontology for the money (if you did, you were sadly ture of the current makeup of the profession thanmisled). Nevertheless, the implicit assumption was was readily available to Flessa and Smith. Thethat after years of college and graduate school, database includes two- and four-year colleges, uni-there would be at least a modicum of financial versities, state surveys, and museums in thesecurity waiting for us in the groves of academia or United States. Unfortunately, there is no detailedthe aisles of a museum. The goal of this short listing for the USGS and most other federal govern-essay is neither to give false hope or undue pessi- ment agencies. Although some data is available formism to eager students now entering our profes- foreign institutions, ...