Bolortsetseg Minjin

Last updated
Bolortsetseg Minjin
Born
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
NationalityMongolian
Alma mater Mongolian University of Science and Technology
Known forFossil repatriation, dinosaur-based science outreach
Scientific career
Fields Paleontology
Institutions American Museum of Natural History, Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs
Doctoral advisor Michael Novacek
Other academic advisors Jack Horner, Minjin Chuluun, Mark Norell, Meng Jin

Bolortsetseg Minjin is a Mongolian paleontologist known for her work in fossil repatriation and dinosaur-themed science outreach. She is a recipient of the WINGS WorldQuest Women of Discovery Award for Earth, [1] National Geographic Explorer, and TEDx speaker. She is the founder of the Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs.

Contents

Biography

Bolortsetseg (also known as "Bolor") [2] grew up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She is the daughter of the late Mongolian paleontologist Minjin Chuluun. [3]

As a child, her father's work inspired her to study paleontology as well. She learned Russian in order to read his books about dinosaurs. She attended the Mongolian University of Science and Technology, where she earned a bachelor's degree in geology and a master's in invertebrate paleontology. [4] When she entered graduate school, the only paleontologist at the university was her father, and he became her adviser. [5]

In 1996, she joined a paleontology expedition to Mongolia led by American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) paleontologists Michael Novacek and Mark Norell. Though she already held a master's degree in paleontology, she was only allowed to join as a cook for the Mongolian crew. Instead of cooking, she spent her time on the expedition prospecting, and found several mammal and lizard fossils, which caught the attention of the expedition leaders. They invited her to join them at the AMNH in New York, where she completed her Ph.D. through a Graduate Center of the City University of New York joint program. [6]

After moving to the United States, she began to focus her career on improving the state of Mongolian paleontology. She became concerned that very few Mongolians her age and younger were choosing paleontology as a career, despite the large number of well-preserved fossils from her country. To learn more about training paleontologists, she collaborated with Jack Horner of the Museum of the Rockies, [7] who helped her establish the Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs in 2007. [8]

Research

Bolortsetseg has studied and discovered dinosaur and mammal fossils from the Gobi Desert that range in age from 145 to 65 million years. [9] She once located 67 dinosaur fossils in one week. [10]

She has led two field expeditions with the Museum of the Rockies. Her doctoral work at City University of New York involved the postcranial skeleton of Multituberculata , especially specimens from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. She conducted post-doctoral research at the Museum of the Rockies on the paleobiology of Psittacosaurus , a Cretaceous dinosaur. Paleontologist Jack Horner served as her post-doctoral advisor. [11]

Fossil repatriation

Tarbosaurus and Saurolophus skeletons that were smuggled to the US, and subsequently returned to Mongolia, at Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs Tarbosaurus & Saurolophus.jpg
Tarbosaurus and Saurolophus skeletons that were smuggled to the US, and subsequently returned to Mongolia, at Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs

A fossil skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus -like dinosaur Tarbosaurus bataar went up for auction in 2012, making international headlines. Bolortsetseg recognized it as a Mongolian specimen and reported the auction to Mongolian authorities, helping them stop the dinosaur from falling into the hands of a private bidder. The case became known as United States v. One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton. The skeleton now resides at the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs in Ulaanbaatar. [12]

Since that time, she has assisted the United States and Mongolian governments with the repatriation of over 30 dinosaur specimens, all of which were taken illegally from Mongolia. [13]

Science Outreach

Bolortsetseg has organized dinosaur-themed science workshops for children in Mongolia since 2009 through her nonprofit organization, the Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs. In 2013, the American Museum of Natural History donated a moveable dinosaur museum to the organization. With the help of two crowdfunding campaigns and philanthropist Gerry Ohrstrom, she has taken the museum on two tours to students in rural areas of Mongolia. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Tarbosaurus</i> Tyrannosaurid dinosaur genus from Late Cretaceous of Mongolia

Tarbosaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurine theropod dinosaur that lived in Asia about 70 million years ago, during the Maastrichtian age at the end of the Late Cretaceous period, considered to contain a single known species: Tarbosaurus bataar. Fossils have been recovered from the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia, with more fragmentary remains found further afield in the Subashi Formation of China.

<i>Alioramus</i> Tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous period

Alioramus is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous period of Asia. It currently contains two species. The type species, A. remotus is known from a partial skull and three foot bones recovered from the Mongolian Nemegt Formation, which was deposited in a humid floodplain about 70 million years ago. These remains were named and described by Soviet paleontologist Sergei Kurzanov in 1976. A second species, A. altai, known from a much more complete skeleton also from the Nemegt Formation, was named and described by Stephen L. Brusatte and colleagues in 2009. Its relationships to other tyrannosaurid genera were at first unclear, with some evidence supporting a hypothesis that Alioramus was closely related to the contemporary species Tarbosaurus bataar. However, the discovery of Qianzhousaurus indicates that it belongs to a distinct branch of tyrannosaurs, namely the tribe Alioramini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burpee Museum of Natural History</span>

The Burpee Museum of Natural History is located along the Rock River in downtown Rockford, Illinois, United States, at 737 North Main Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nemegt Formation</span> Geological formation in Mongolia

The Nemegt Formation is a geological formation in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, dating to the Late Cretaceous. The formation consists of river channel sediments and contains fossils of fish, turtles, crocodilians, and a diverse fauna of dinosaurs, including birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Djadochta Formation</span> Geologic formation in Mongolia

The Djadochta Formation is a highly fossiliferous geological formation situated in Central Asia, Gobi Desert, dating from the Late Cretaceous period, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. The type locality is the Bayn Dzak locality, famously known as the Flaming Cliffs. Reptile and mammal remains are among the fossils recovered from the formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles W. Gilmore</span> American paleontologist

Charles Whitney Gilmore was an American paleontologist who gained renown in the early 20th century for his work on vertebrate fossils during his career at the United States National Museum. Gilmore named many dinosaurs in North America and Mongolia, including the Cretaceous sauropod Alamosaurus, Alectrosaurus, Archaeornithomimus, Bactrosaurus, Brachyceratops, Chirostenotes, Mongolosaurus, Parrosaurus, Pinacosaurus, Styracosaurus ovatus and Thescelosaurus.

<i>T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous</i> 1998 film by Brett Leonard

T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous is a 1998 American educational adventure film shot for the IMAX 3D format. The film is directed by Brett Leonard. Executive producer/co-writer Andrew Gellis and producers Antoine Compin and Charis Horton also make up the production team. Liz Stauber and Peter Horton star, alongside Kari Coleman, Tuck Milligan, and Laurie Murdoch. When a museum accident transports teenager Ally Hayden on an adventure back in time, she explores the terrain and territory of life-sized dinosaurs, even during a nose-to-nose encounter with a female Tyrannosaurus. The film is among the few IMAX films that are considered "pure entertainment", though it still is considered rather educational by the mainstream audience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter W. Granger</span> American paleontologist

Walter Willis Granger was an American vertebrate paleontologist who participated in important fossil explorations in the United States, Egypt, China and Mongolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrannosaurinae</span> Extinct subfamily of dinosaurs

Tyrannosaurinae is one of the two extinct subfamilies of Tyrannosauridae, a family of coelurosaurian theropods that consists of at least three tribes and several genera. All fossils of these genera have been found in the Late Cretaceous deposits of western North America and east Asia. Compared to the related subfamily Albertosaurinae, tyrannosaurines overall are more robust and larger though the alioramins were gracile by comparison. This subfamily also includes the oldest known tyrannosaurid genus Lythronax as well as the youngest and most famous member of the group, Tyrannosaurus rex. There were at least 30 different species of tyrannosaurines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue (dinosaur)</span> Very complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil

Sue is the nickname given to FMNH PR 2081, which is one of the largest, most extensive, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever found, at over 90 percent recovered by bulk. FMNH PR 2081 was discovered on August 12, 1990, by American explorer and fossil collector Sue Hendrickson, and was named after her.

Louis Leo Jacobs is an American vertebrate paleontologist who discovered Malawisaurus while on an expedition in Malawi. Much of his research concerns the interrelationships of biotic and abiotic events through time. In recent years he has focused on the middle portion of the Cretaceous and the Cenozoic, especially with respect to terrestrial ecosystems.

Specimens of <i>Tyrannosaurus</i>

Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most iconic dinosaurs and is known from numerous specimens, some of which have individually acquired notability due to their scientific significance and media coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska</span> Polish paleobiologist (1925–2015)

Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska was a Polish paleobiologist. In the mid-1960s, she led a series of Polish-Mongolian paleontological expeditions to the Gobi Desert. She was the first woman to serve on the executive committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences. The most notable dinosaur species she discovered include: Deinocheirus and Gallimimus while Kielanodon and Zofiabaatar were named in her honour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleozoological Museum of China</span> Paleontology Museum in Beijing , China

The Paleozoological Museum of China is a museum in Beijing, China. The same building also houses the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The museum contains exhibition halls with specimens aimed at the public, while the rest of the building is used for research purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fossil trade</span> Trade involving fossils

The fossil trade is the purchase and sale of fossils. This is at times done illegally with stolen fossils, and important scientific specimens are lost each year. The trade is lucrative, and many celebrities collect fossils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile museum</span>

A mobile museum is a museum educational outreach program that bring the museum to the people rather than vice versa. Typically they can be in Recreational Vehicles (RVs) or trucks/trailers that drive to schools, libraries and rural events. Their business model is to use grant or donor support, as they goal is to make the museum exhibit accessible to underserved populations. Below are some examples of mobile museums.

Mark Allen Norell is an American vertebrate paleontologist. He is currently the chairman of paleontology and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. He is best known as the discoverer of the first theropod embryo and for the description of feathered dinosaurs. Norell is credited with the naming of the genera Apsaravis, Byronosaurus, Citipati, Tsaagan, and Achillobator. His work regularly appears in major scientific journals and was listed by Time magazine as one of the ten most significant science stories of 1993, 1994 and 1996.

<i>United States v. One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton</i> 2013 US federal court case

United States v. One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton (1:13−cv−00857) is a 2013 United States District Court for the Southern District of New York judgment regarding a requested order from the United States government to seize an imported Mongolian Tarbosaurus skeleton related to smuggling law and the applicability of Mongolian law in the United States.

<i>Gobioolithus</i> Fossil bird egg native to Mongolia

Gobioolithus is an oogenus of fossil bird egg native to Mongolia. They are small, smooth-shelled, and elongated eggs that were first discovered in the 1960s and early 70s during a series of fossil-hunting expeditions in the Gobi desert. Two oospecies have been described: Gobioolithus minor and G. major. The eggs were probably laid in colonial nesting sites on the banks of rivers and lakes.

Abdarainurus is a genus of titanosaur dinosaur from the Alagteeg Formation in Mongolia. The type and only species is A. barsboldi. Currently seen as an indeterminate titanosaur, it may represent a previously unknown lineage of Asian macronarians. Abdarainurus is not known from many remains; it is only known from eight front tail vertebrae and a middle tail vertebra and several chevrons.

References

  1. "Women of Discovery Earth Award won by Bolortsetseg Minjin". News on Women. May 1, 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  2. "Bolor Minjin". www.nationalgeographic.com. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  3. Boodhoo, Thea (15 February 2017). "Saving Mongolia's dinosaurs and inspiring the next generation of paleontologists". No. March 2017. American Geosciences Institute. EARTH Magazine. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  4. "2008 (PREPARATORS' GRANT) BOLORTSETSEG MINJIN". Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  5. National Geographic Education Staff (21 January 2011). "Paleontologist: Bolortsetseg Minjin". National Geographic. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  6. Boodhoo, Thea (15 February 2017). "Saving Mongolia's dinosaurs and inspiring the next generation of paleontologists". No. March 2017. American Geosciences Institute. EARTH Magazine. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  7. Boswell, Evelyn (16 January 2008). "Mongolian paleontologists with a dream come to MSU". Montana State University. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  8. "About - Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs". Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs. Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  9. "Bolortsetseg Minjin". Explorers Bio. National Geographic. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  10. "Paleontologist: Bolortsetseg Minjin". National Geographic Society Education. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  11. "2008 (PREPARATORS' GRANT) BOLORTSETSEG MINJIN". Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  12. Boodhoo, Thea (15 February 2017). "Saving Mongolia's dinosaurs and inspiring the next generation of paleontologists". No. March 2017. American Geosciences Institute. EARTH Magazine. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  13. "Projects". Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs. Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  14. Boodhoo, Thea (15 February 2017). "Saving Mongolia's dinosaurs and inspiring the next generation of paleontologists". No. March 2017. American Geosciences Institute. EARTH Magazine. Retrieved 19 February 2017.