Hey I'm studying palaeontology in Sydney Australia and I was just going through your page and saw that there are abusive palaeontologists!? Are there some apart from Sereno that I should be worried about as a young female?
Shoot, I just saw this, I don’t check my inbox that often, sorry!
I mainly know about some American ones, so I can’t name many more than Sereno and Horner off the top of my head, but the main thing to keep in mind when going into science as any kind of minority is 1) talking to people who work with/work under an advisor to see what they’re like, and 2) having a support network (whether it be friends, other advisors, etc.)
Paleontology isn’t nearly as bad as other sciences in terms of having manipulative and abusive folks in it, but you do still need to exercise caution. It also depends on your year of schooling: if you’re an undergrad, you’re less likely to experience the direct abuse unless you’re at several intersections of oppression. But even so, be sure that you have people you can reach out to and also awareness of who you can/can’t trust in your department(s).
I wish you luck in your career!