Hammond didn’t pick him, the insurance company did. The company insisted on only him, likely because he was a notorious skeptic who would be able to look past the sensationalism of the dinosaurs to let them know a realistic risk assessment. The dinner scene where he and Ellie criticize Hammond is exactly why they wanted him there.
Point being, no indication is actually given that he was smarter or more published than the others in his field, because that isn’t really what the insurance was after.
Gennaro: (Slightly dazed) If two experts… sign off on the island, the insurance guys will back off. I’ve already got Ian Malcolm, but they think he’s too trendy. They want Alan Grant.
He must be a real good paleontologist to forget that wood is a bad conductor.
He was so good that John Hammond sought him out to invite him to the park to check it out before it opened.
Hammond didn’t pick him, the insurance company did. The company insisted on only him, likely because he was a notorious skeptic who would be able to look past the sensationalism of the dinosaurs to let them know a realistic risk assessment. The dinner scene where he and Ellie criticize Hammond is exactly why they wanted him there.
Point being, no indication is actually given that he was smarter or more published than the others in his field, because that isn’t really what the insurance was after.
I could be wrong but I remember Hammond choosing Grant, not the insurance company
Here’s the transcript
Scroll down to “The Encased Mosquito.” Hammond wasn’t even in the scene.
You’re right, here’s the relevant quote
Thanks for setting me straight
They didn’t have electric fences in the jurassic era, duh. /jk