UTMN: UTMN scientists returned from international expedition

Dmitry Mirzabaev and Yaroslav Trubin, employees of the Laboratory of Sedimentology and Evolution of the Paleobiosphere in X-BIO, returned from an international paleontological expedition to the Southern Tien Shan.
It was organized by the Tien Shan’s Geological Society of Kyrgyzstan and the M.M. Adyshev Institute of Geology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic under the auspices of UNESCO.

The expedition took place in a unique stratotypic area, the Madygen. It is a geographical feature, where rocks reflecting the chronicle of the last 250 million years of the Earth’s history come to the surface. Scientists from various countries are interested in the region. Specialists from Germany took part in the expedition.

The organizers of the expedition do not exaggerate, pointing out that Madygen is a vivid example of the geological events chronicle of the Mesozoic era on the Eurasian continent. This area is known in the paleontological scientific world as a place with rare forms of fossil fauna.

“The expedition gave me a possibility for growth. I was lucky to observe the diversity of fauna inhabiting ancient tropical marine ecosystems. I appreciated the experience of international communication and the prospect of further cooperation with foreign colleagues from both Central Asia and Europe,” said Yaroslav Trubin.

Researcher Dmitry Mirzabaev tells, “The expedition to Kyrgyzstan provided an opportunity to gain irreplaceable experience in paleontological practice and allowed us to obtain valuable scientific material for future research.”

“Our goal is to continue research in this new to the team region, including the Madygen, the Fergana Valley and the foothills of the Tien Shan,” summarizes Pavel Smirnov, the head of the laboratory.