Egos, money, and science intersect in a modern American parable that follows the king of the dinosaurs and those who uncover its remains. Under intense budgetary pressure, academic paleontologist Dr. Thomas Carr navigates the crumbling world of academia. Can his latest find, a juvenile T. rex, convince his small private college to reinvest in a successful but small program? Meanwhile, commercial fossil hunter Alan Detrich teams up with a Kansas museum to show off a T. rex specimen so rare it might change the face of paleontology. Alan's ethics and motives are tested in a divided world. Ever-increasing auction prices compound the academic community's growing frustration with rising commercial sales. The two legends of paleontology try tricks, new and old, to keep up in America's ever-shifting landscape.

The New Extinction poster

The New Extinction (2026)

Who owns the past?

November 15, 2026 90 min

DocumentaryHistory

Director: Kyle Lloyd Arpke  ·  Writer: Kyle Lloyd Arpke

Egos, money, and science intersect in a modern American parable that follows the king of the dinosaurs and those who uncover its remains. Under intense budgetary pressure, academic paleontologist Dr. Thomas Carr navigates the crumbling world of academia. Can his latest find, a juvenile T. rex, convince his small private college to reinvest in a successful but small program? Meanwhile, commercial fossil hunter Alan Detrich teams up with a Kansas museum to show off a T. rex specimen so rare it might change the face of paleontology. Alan's ethics and motives are tested in a divided world. Ever-increasing auction prices compound the academic community's growing frustration with rising commercial sales. The two legends of paleontology try tricks, new and old, to keep up in America's ever-shifting landscape.

Director

Kyle Lloyd Arpke Kyle Lloyd Arpke

Cast

Thomas Carr Thomas Carr Self Alan Detrich Alan Detrich Self Megan Seitz Megan Seitz Self David Burnham David Burnham Self