The Largest Expedition in the Practice of World Paleontological Science The 50th Anniversary of the Joint Russian‒Mongolian Paleontological Expedition

Abstract

In this article the history of the Joint Russian‒Mongolian Paleontological Expedition (JRMPE) and its work and main results are described. The organization of the expedition (Soviet-Mongolian at that time) in 1969 was preceded by a hard and lengthy work to promote this idea in academic and state institutions. The joint expedition was planned as a complex one by both the tasks and the tactics of their implementation. As a result, the JRMPE became the largest expedition in the history of paleontology. The excavations carried out within its framework provided the most important scientific materials and significantly replenished the paleontological collections of the museums in Moscow and Ulaanbaatar. The JRMPE became the basis for the development of paleontology in Mongolia and the training of highly qualified scientific personnel for Russia and Mongolia.