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I was watching the movie recently and noticed that one of the characters (very) briefly mentions a safety they built into the system should any of the dinosaurs escape. They called it the Lysine Contingency saying that all the dinos have been genetically modified to depend heavily on lysine in their diet, so if any of them escape they wouldn't be able to survive without the food supplements that the park gives them.

Why doesn't the story end right there? Does the Michael Crichton book actually explain this in depth?

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  • What do you mean "why doesn't the story end right there?" The reason it doesn't is the same reason why Hammond immediately disregards Muldoon's suggestion in the film, it would take days for this to have an effect while people were currently in lethal danger right now.
    – TARS
    May 5, 2020 at 15:32

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They found other sources of lysine, including beans and chickens.

"...This spring, in the Ismaloya section, which is to the north, some unknown animals ate the crops in a very peculiar manner. They moved each day, in a straight line-almost as straight as an arrow-from the coast, into the mountains, into the jungle."
Grant sat upright.
"Like a migration," Guitierrez said. "Wouldn't you say?"
"What crops?" Grant said.
"Well, it was odd. They would only eat agama beans and soy, and sometimes chickens."
Grant said, "Foods rich in lysine..."

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    Haha Yes! This has been bugging me for ages. Thank you. Do you have a page number by any chance, I need to show this to someone.
    – unusualhabit
    Aug 14, 2011 at 19:46
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    It's page 388 in my edition, which is the second-to-last page.
    – TML
    Aug 14, 2011 at 19:47
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    Clever girl....
    – Kalamane
    Aug 15, 2011 at 17:54
  • Also mentioned in the sequel novel, The Lost World. "A number of animals were discovered up in the mountains, near a remote agricultural station that was growing test varieties of soy beans." "Soy beans," Levine repeated. Guitierrez nodded. "Apparently these animals are attracted to beans, and certain grasses. The assumption is that they have a great need for the amino acid lysine in their diets. But nobody is really sure. Perhaps they just have a taste for certain crops - "
    – Valorum
    Sep 21 at 13:42

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