Fighting Dinosaurs: New Discoveries from Mongolia features more than 30 of the best preserved and scientifically important dinosaur and other ancient animal fossils ever discovered in Mongolia's famed Gobi Desert. On view through October 29, 2000 the exhibition focused on the "Fighting Dinosaurs" of Mongolia--one of the most famous fossil finds in the world. Never before seen in North America and designated a national treasure of Mongolia, the two Fighting Dinosaurs are a fierce Velociraptor that was apparently buried alive while attacking a plant-eating, shield-headed Protoceratops.

Also featured are many new specimens from Mongolia, including a number of species yet to be named, some of the most complete meat-eating theropod dinosaurs ever found, several nesting dinosaurs, and some of the finest lizard and mammal fossils ever discovered. These specimens have enhanced our understanding of life in the Gobi region 80 million years ago, and they shed new light on the rise of modern bird and mammal groups.

Exhibition Highlights

Never before seen in North America, the two Fighting Dinosaurs are a fierce Velociraptor that died apparently locked in combat with a plant-eating, shield-headed Protoceratops.

The Desert at Night

Visitors were introduced first to a striking diorama of the region now known as Ukhaa Tolgod, Mongolia, as it may have looked some 80 million years ago.

Understanding the Past

In this section, visitors could compare conclusions drawn from fossils discovered in the Gobi by Roy Chapman Andrews, the famous Museum expedition leader of the 1920 and 1930s, with results from research led in the 1990s by Drs. Norell and Novacek.

Fossil Preservation in the Gobi

The third section of the exhibition focused on the exquisite preservation of fossils in the Gobi, which has provided scientists with some of the world's best fossil vertebrate specimens.

The Diversity of Life

The exhibition's fourth section illustrated the diversity of life in the Gobi, how specific finds have increased our understanding of dinosaur growth, behavior, and variation, and how these specimens help scientists understand how groups of animals are related to one another, shedding light on the main lines of evolution.

The Fighting Dinosaurs

Apparently locked in combat, these two fighting dinosaurs were remarkably preserved in this action pose some 80 million years ago.

Birds: Living Dinosaurs

This section of the exhibition examined the links between dinosaurs and birds, the continued search for more evidence to support this link, and the origin of feathers.

The Rise of Mammals

The exhibition's sixth section focused on the evolution of mammals, illustrating the evolution that led to the great diversity of modern mammals.

Digging Up Dinosaurs

The seventh section of the exhibition discussed how paleontologists find fossil sites, how specimens are retrieved, and what happens back in the laboratory.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Fighting Dinosaurs: New Discoveries from Mongolia was made possible through the support of the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Endowment Fund.