Part III: Maiasaura – Good Mother Lizard

D. J. Kristoff • September 23, 2022

The Maiasaura is the only female-named dinosaur to date. The name means “good mother lizard,” as she exhibited maternal instincts, like making nests and caring for her young. How does Horner know this? From the tiny eggshell fragments found in the FIRST dinosaur nests ever discovered containing fossilized baby dinosaurs, up to a month or two in age, telling us that the hatchlings stayed in the nest, being fed by their mother.

Other dinosaur nests were discovered at the nearby Egg Mountain site . Here, under Montana’s blue sky, with an ice pick and whisk broom in hand, I thrilled at the discovery of a portion of a dinosaur egg, along with numerous eggshell fragments. It was, at times, tedious, tiresome work, but I felt like I was on top of the world with dinosaur delirium.

As I stood on Egg Mountain, looking down over the badlands, I couldn’t help but wonder: how did so many dinosaurs come to die here? This was a great dinosaur mystery. After years of studying not only the black crumbly fossils, but the geology in the area as well, Horner and his crew of scientists finally proposed a theory. Imagine a large volcano in the Rockies suddenly erupts, spewing poisonous gases and hot volcanic ash into the air, turning the grazing grounds of the herd of unsuspecting Maiasaura into a choking, killing field.

Over time, the stench, millions of flies, and beetles would disappear from the rotting corpses, leaving only the sun-bleached bones, some partially fossilized, to be swept away by a muddy flood so catastrophic that it picked up and carried the bones in a slurry of ash fossil soup to a new location, settling, now beneath my feet.

Jack Horner, his dinosaur discoveries, theories, and adventures were a profound influence on my life, inspiring me to become an award-winning teacher. Now, it is my hope to have a similar positive impact on today’s youth, inspiring a love for learning science through adventures in nature.

Part I: How I Earned the Nickname Dino Diane

By D. J. Kristoff • September 25, 2022
Imagine yourself standing on an eroding grassy hill, looking across a harsh landscape of rocky gullies. Shielding your eyes from the hot Montana sun, you swipe away the sweat slowly dripping down the side of your face as you reach down into the dust and the dirt, and suddenly, your fingers touch a hard object. […] The post Part I: How I Earned the Nickname Dino Diane appeared first on Dino Diane's Adventures.

Part II: Dinosaur Secrets Revealed

By D. J. Kristoff • September 24, 2022
So, what did I learn in those badlands in Montana? Well, growing up, dinosaurs were always portrayed as dim-witted, slow-moving loners. That was the prevailing view of them at the time. But, under a starry night sky, by the glow of a smoky campfire, we discussed Horner’s latest findings and theories. I learned that the […] The post Part II: Dinosaur Secrets Revealed appeared first on Dino Diane's Adventures.

Part IV: Where’s the Chickenosaurus?

By D. J. Kristoff • September 22, 2022
Since then, I check in on Jack Horner from time to time to see what he’s up to in the dinosaur world. Jack is now in his mid-seventies and still quite active. I learned that he’s been investigating the real possibility of bringing dinosaurs back to Earth, as suggested in the movie. But, after many […] The post Part IV: Where’s the Chickenosaurus? appeared first on Dino Diane's Adventures.

How I Held a Thermometer in a Wild Bear’s Rectum

By D. J. Kristoff • September 21, 2022
So, I was just out of college teaching science in Arizona when a fellow teacher asked me if I would you like to go on a black bear research expedition with him that weekend. My eyes flew open and I took a big gulp of air. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I […] The post How I Held a Thermometer in a Wild Bear’s Rectum appeared first on Dino Diane's Adventures.