Recognizing the work of women

The history of vertebrate paleontology, like that of other scientific disciplines, has traditionally been told and shaped through a masculine filter. Annalisa Berta and Susan Turner aim to rectify this bias, and their new book, Rebels, Scholars, Explorers, is a stepping stone along that path, synthesizing observations about the past, present, and future of women9s contributions in the field. The book is the first major effort to bring the work of several centuries9 worth of silenced people to light. Any such endeavor will inevitably have gaps, but it will also serve as a reference for future projects—particularly with regard to premodern individuals, details about whom are often much harder to track down.