Unusually Radioactive Fossil Bones from Mongolia

Abstract

PART of the fossil material excavated by Polish–Mongolian palaeontological expeditions to the Gobi Desert in the years 1963–65 (ref. 1) has been found to be highly radioactive. We have examined the following specimens: (1) samples of bone from various dinosaurs and turtles from Upper Cretaceous beds corresponding to Campanian or Maestrichtian from the Nemegt Valley in southern Gobi Desert (at Altan Ula IV, Tsagan Hushu and Nemegt); (2) bone samples of turtles and mammals from the Palaeocene beds of Nemegt Valley (at Tsagan Hushu and Naran Bulak); (3) dinosaur bone samples from the Upper Cretaceous of Bain Dzak, corresponding probably to Turonian; (4) bone samples of mammals from the Oligocene beds of Hsanda Gol; (5) mammalian bones from the Miocene beds of Beger Nur; (6) bones of rhinoceroses from the Pliocene beds of Altan Teli; and (7) mammalian bones from Palaeocene beds of Hashyat (Gashato). Sandstone samples have also been collected from the majority of these localities and analysed.