The Pachyderm Portfolio was a project started by John Hammond, a flamboyant venture capitalist, and conducted by Norman Atherton, a Stanford geneticist in the novel Jurassic Park. The original plan was to make consumer-biologicals, or biologically created products for consumer usage. Eventually, with Hammond's funding, Atherton was able to develop a miniature elephant, approx. 9 inches by 12 inches.[1]
Project Usage[]
The project lasted several years, and was the main fuel for Hammond to found International Genetic Technologies, Inc. Hammond would give a dramatic speech to investors, and at the most climatic moment, pull a cover off the little cage he carried the animal around in; investors would look in awe, and pledge their money.[1]
Project Problems[]
John Hammond failed to mention that his chief geneticist was not able to replicate the elephant, and the elephant had several behavioral quirks about it, including temperament. He also did not mention that Atherton himself, the brains behind the miracles, was terminal with heart cancer. Eventually, the elephant died, after it had gained enough capital for InGen to be fully developed, earning over $870 million.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
- John Hammond's Pachyderm Paddock from first issue of the IDW Publishing comic series Jurassic Park: Redemption might be a reference to this project.
- In the behind the scenes of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Colin Trevorrow states that John Hammond and Dr. Henry Wu cloned baby elephants in the sub-basement laboratory of Lockwood Manor before moving on to dinosaurs.[2]