I travelled to Mongolia frequently for my PhD research on oviraptorosaurs, and I’ve been in the field all throughout the Gobi Desert. There is nowhere richer in dinosaur fossils in the world, and every expedition found dozens of amazing specimens. Even though I’m done my PhD, I’m still working with my Mongolian colleagues and we’re developing new fieldwork projects.
Right now, I’m working with a team from Mongolia and Japan to travel to a remote area where the only Jurassic dinosaurs from Mongolia have been found. We’ll use geochemistry, stratigraphy, and palaeontology to understand the unique ecosystem in this region, which was a gateway between continents in the Jurassic. If you want to donate to support our work, please get in touch!
I’ve done 5 field expeditions in Mongolia, touring around the eastern, western, and southern Gobi Desert. You can learn more about my recent travels in my Mongolia Monday Travel Log from 2018.
The rocks of the eastern Gobi are slightly older than in the west, and so they have different kinds of dinosaurs. In 2015, at Khuren Dukh (pronounced ‘hoo-ren dooh’), we found amazing fossils of champsosaurs, psittacosaurs, and even a complete iguanodontian skeleton!
The southern Gobi has been visited very little, but we had amazing luck on our short visit in 2017 to an area called Shiluut Uul. We found several nests of eggs, and one of these even had embryonic bones inside!
The western Gobi is likely the best place in the world for finding dinosaur skeletons. Localities in the Nemegt Basin have produced one of the best-known fossil records of dinosaurs, including literally hundreds of complete skeletons. These areas have unfortunately attracted the attention of poachers, so I feel like it’s more important than ever to continue working with my Mongolian colleagues to learn more about these sites and fight for their protection.
In 2016, I worked with an enormous international team (40+ people!) travelling to the famous Nemegt locality. We found hundreds of specimens and excavated a bonebed of a rare animal called Avimimus.
In 2018, I was part of a smaller team that travelled to Guriliin Tsav , where we found some incredible new oviraptorosaur specimens and documented the fauna of this less-well studied locality.
There is so much to discover in Mongolia, and I’m sure my work there will continue to be a major part of my career.
Greg Funston Palaeontology 