Kemerovo “expedition in search of dinosaurs” is sent to the bus on Saturdays and Sundays. In the way tourists talk about the wonderful nature of Siberia and its past. Hundreds of millions of years ago on the territory of modern Kuzbass, the climate was quite different – a terrible heat forced suffering from thirst prehistoric reptiles to seek water on the shore of Kii.
On the findings of remains of dinosaurs in Kuzbass first began in the 1950s. It is here that the point Shestakovo-1, once housed the camp’s first researchers. Still preserved the old flooring from the logs where the river rolls over a cliff, resembling a layer cake. Every year after the spring flood in outcrops of sedimentary rocks under the age of 135 million years you can see the bones of ancient animals – from dinosaurs to mammoths.
Since then, as was done here for the very first finds were fragments of the front limbs of herbivorous Psittacosaurus – a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. But this place still holds many secrets and legends.
But the excursion starts at the point Shestakovo-3, which is in its seventh year conduct excavations of employees of Kuzbass state Museum. In 2014 they found a mass grave of skeletons of psittacosaurs Siberian and the bones of the giant sauropods. Among the findings of the current field season – the teeth of the mammal-like reptiles and the bone of the caudal spine sauropods.
Recently, excavations were visited by the participants of the paleontological training for students. The theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom in the educational centre of the Museum guys put into practice. For example, learned to distinguish the rock from the bone remains of ancient animals. Maybe someone of them will return in Shestakovo as researcher.
Stepan Ivantsov, associate Professor of paleontology and historical Geology, TSU:
– In Shestakovo, palaeontologists from the University began to operate in 1995. The bones of a dinosaur from the early Cretaceous period was then found by accident during road construction. Since the location happened a lot of scientific discoveries. This year made prirezka of the excavation, with the result that exposed some interesting horizons that can be washed. Still here was only used by the vulgar method of excavation and were found mainly the remains of the psittacosaurs. And rinsing can give more information about the state of the entire complex.
On the territory of Russia only in Kuzbass, but still in the Amur region, were able to detect fragments and whole skeletons of dinosaurs in good condition. To continue to work together, TSU and Kuzbass Museum decided to sign a cooperation agreement. He is now at the consultation stage and, among other things, provides for the organization of exhibitions, publiction in the Internet, as well as conducting training courses for the Museum staff. I hope that the joint expedition will continue.
