The dry, windy plains of Patagonia, in South America, are as beautiful as they are barren. But did they once teem with life? Paleontologists (scientists who study fossils) have proved that this rugged region is a rich repository of reptile remains. Camped out in the field for weeks at a time, these scientific scavengers search with unflagging curiosity and dedication for new clues to some of the mysteries of the long-extinct dinosaurs. Their tools are rock hammers, brushes, and hand lenses.
Being on a dig is not easy for the members of a research team, even if they are rewarded with exciting results. To endure the primitive conditions in the field, the scientists need to have a
stoical attitude and a good sense of humor. Even the most experienced and hardy dinosaur hunters limit their fieldwork to a stint of about a month. They then return to their laboratories, where they record, classify, and analyze their latest specimens. But most paleontologists eventually feel the strong urge to explore again despite the physical hardships.
Digs in Patagonia have revealed the existence of a dozen previously unknown dinosaur species, including Argentinosaurus, the largest plant eater ever found, and Giganotosaurus, the newest monarch of meat eaters. The arid conditions of the region, so hostile to life today, have preserved the prehistoric past. Recently, in an area where rocky cliffs abut ancient mud flats, researchers made a remarkable find: hundreds of thousands of fossilized dinosaur eggs. In just three days, they harvested eighty
undamaged eggs, all nestled together in regularly spaced clusters. Scientists consider this find perceptible evidence of dinosaur behavior. They think that mothers may have dug bowl-shaped nests, carefully spaced apart to protect the precious eggs. What other wonders remain hidden in the dusty Patagonian desert?