Digging Up Dino Fossils: Meet Bolortsetseg Minjin

Into the land before time, check out the incredible work of Bolortsetseg (Bolor) Minjin, P.h.D, as she discovers new fossil species, repatriates illegally collected fossils, and trains Mongolian paleontologists & youth through educational outreach.

Bolor is a Fellow of The Explorers Club and nominated to the EC 50, an honorary community of trailblazing explorers, scientists, artists, and activists. Visit The Explorers Club to find out more about the program and learn about all 50 honorees.

May 20, 2021

By: The Explorers Club and Discovery

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Photo By: Bolortsetseg Minjin

Photo By: Telmuun

Photo By: Thea Boodhoo

Photo By: ISMD

Photo By: Bolortsetseg Minjin

Photo By: Thea Boodhoo

Photo By: AMNH

Photo By: Bolortsetseg Minjin

Gobi children visit the site where the famous fighting dinosaurs (Velociraptor and Protoceratops locked in combat) were found.

Dr. Bolor stands next to skulls of Protoceratops that were collected 100 year ago by the scientists from AMNH.

Dr. Bolor holds a skull of a juvenile Tarbosaurus (dinosaur closely related to T. rex) as a part of her work on the repatriation of Mongolian dinosaurs.

Dr. Bolor stands in front of two stolen dinosaurs, Tarbosaurus bataar and a duck-billed dinosaur, that she helped repatriate to Mongolia. This picture was taken in the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs, during Bolor's term as Assistant Director.

Dr. Bolor preparing stolen dinosaurs for their trip to Mongolia. Here she is wrapping bones in a plaster jacket for shipping in the Navy Yard, Brooklyn.

Dr. Bolor holding a stolen dinosaur skull of a juvenile Tarbosaurus bataar as part of a repatriation project.

Dr. Bolor with a team of scientists from the American Museum of Natural History and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences in the Gobi Desert collecting/jacketing a nesting dinosaur fossil.

Dr. Bolor is teaching local school children about dinosaurs and sharing her knowledge about Mongolia’s fossil heritage.

Dr.Bolor with a team of AMNH scientists and Mongolian team members during a paleontological expedition in Mongolia

Dr. Bolor working on the very first dinosaur repatriation to Mongolia. She is numbering each bone of Tarbosaurus bataar, a close relative of T. rex.

Dr. Bolor is working on repatriating Protoceratops, a horned dinosaur from Mongolia. Here she is examining the specimen before being sent back to Mongolia.

Dr. Bolor with children who live near the Flaming Cliffs and teaching them about the dinosaurs from the region.

Dr. Bolor with her team and children who live nearby, teaching them about the dinosaurs from the Flaming Cliffs.

Dr. Bolor with local kids inside the mobile dinosaur museum , which her team drives around the country to teach kids about Mongolian fossils.

Dr. Bolor and team with local science teachers. Here they ran a workshop for teachers to learn about the fossil heritage of the Gobi.