海角大神

Goats, cows, and pedestrians wander by the two unassuming shipping containers along a street in Niger鈥檚 riverside capital without a second thought. But inside lie nearly 50 tons of dinosaur bones wrapped in plaster 鈥� potentially some of the most significant paleontological finds this landlocked West African country, and even the continent, has ever known.

There are fossils from perhaps as many as 100 different species, some of them from ancient animals never seen before.聽

鈥淪mall animals, mammals, flying reptiles, turtles鈥� as well as a 40-foot crocodile and 鈥渁 dozen large dinosaurs that are new, including huge 60-footers,鈥� says American paleontologist Paul Sereno.

Getting them to the capital was years in the making 鈥� and their journey isn鈥檛 over. The initial discoveries were made in 2018 and 2019, in the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert. It would take time and funding for a proper dig, though, so the paleontologists covered them up and buried them, hoping the winds wouldn鈥檛 expose them to curious nomads or dangerous smugglers.聽

Then COVID-19 hit, shutting everything down until finally, last fall, Professor Sereno could return to unearth the fossils again. 聽

鈥淣iger is going to tell Africa鈥檚 story during the dinosaur era,鈥� he says. Instead of the fossilized snapshots found in many other places, these discoveries present a continuum of 鈥渢he Jurassic and Cretaceous history of Africa.鈥�

The bones, soon to be shipped to Dr. Sereno鈥檚 lab at the University of Chicago for research, represent paleontology鈥檚 latest win against the harsh desert environment of Niger, which is home not only to fossils but also to soaring temperatures, shifting dunes, and various armed groups.

But Chicago won鈥檛 be the bones鈥� final resting place. The fossils are earmarked to be eventually returned to Niger, where the kernels of a formal paleontology sector are being planted in a country that contains some of the richest paleontological finds in Africa but boasts no paleontologists of its own, or even academic programs dedicated to the field.聽

鈥淓ach time, we see that we find new dinosaurs, new fossils that permit us to say that the soil is rich 鈥� unlike other countries, and other continents,鈥� says Boub茅 Adamou, an archaeologist at the Institute for Research in Human Sciences who, as one of Niger鈥檚 foremost experts on excavations, helped lead this most recent expedition. 鈥淣iger has an聽unheard-of heritage.鈥�

Guy Peterson/Special to 海角大神

Boubou Hama National Museum has a replica of a dinosaur skeleton found by American paleontologist Paul Sereno in 1997.

A race in the desert

In a convoy speeding through the desert last fall, the team of about 20 found themselves massively outnumbered by scores of armed men riding in machine gun-mounted trucks. Those were just their guards, determined to keep this modern-day Saharan caravan safe from smugglers or bandits roving the dunes. Dr. Sereno declines to disclose the exact number of the guards, to not give away sensitive security measures.

The team, composed of researchers and students from the United States, Niger, and Europe, went to three dig sites over three months. By the time they finished in December, they had unearthed everything from an Ouranosaurus with a 25-foot-long, bony 鈥渟ail鈥� across the length of its back to the 6-foot thigh bone of a long-necked sauropod.聽

How was it that what is now one of the world鈥檚 largest deserts sustained so much life? Millions of years ago, the vast expanses of Niger were anything but dry, as rivers, wetlands, and lakes stretched across what researchers called the Green Sahara, home at one point to dinosaurs, and later, ancient human civilizations with embalming techniques that predate the Egyptians 鈥� relics of which were also found on the fall expedition.

But geologic happenstance also created this modern dinosaur jackpot. Most dinosaur fossils in the world are found in the U.S. and Asia because mountain ranges rose over millions of years, slowly pushing up earth over time and burying bones below. Niger鈥檚 mountains provided the same process. A second key factor here, as in places like Montana, is the lack of forest or jungle to inhibit the search for bones.

A hundred million years since the dinosaurs鈥� heyday, it鈥檚 easy to see why Niger remains off the beaten path for paleontologists, despite its riches. As one of the poorest nations on Earth, it combines rough infrastructure with harsh desert conditions.

But even if the Green Sahara is a thing of the past, the desert today is anything but desolate. Local nomads who鈥檝e long mastered the difficult terrain have become key to conducting paleontology there, spotting bones and leading expeditions through otherwise unnavigable desert expanses. While the pandemic held Dr. Sereno鈥檚 team at bay, nomads kept a watchful eye on the carefully buried treasures, texting him updates.

Guy Peterson/Special to 海角大神

Niger鈥檚 Boubou Hama National Museum has replicas of dinosaur skeletons found in the Agadez region, including one found by French paleontologist Philippe Taquet in 1966.

Growing local paleontologists

In Niamey, children and families dart around the Boubou Hama National Museum and adjacent zoo, checking out hippos and hyenas, and walking in the shadows of two massive dinosaur skeletons on display, including a terrifying 36-foot-tall carnivore called a Suchomimus. An equally menacing Afrovenator greets visitors at the airport, along with the skull of a 鈥渟uper croc.鈥澛�

But these are just replicas. In addition to lacking paleontologists, Niger doesn鈥檛 have the proper facilities to display actual fossils, Mr. Adamou says.

That could be changing. Niger Heritage is a project drawn up by Dr. Sereno, Mr. Adamou, and coterie of international and Nigerien researchers and government officials. It envisions two museums 鈥� one in Agadez, in the Sahara Desert, and one in Niamey 鈥� with the capacity to not just display the fossils but also, for the first time, conduct homegrown research. The plans go beyond dinosaurs, covering the prehistoric human era, Niger鈥檚 modern nomadic heritage, and today鈥檚 climate and ecological issues.聽

鈥淭he health of the [Niger River], the聽advance of the desert 鈥� they鈥檙e wrapped up in these projects that take you [on] a walk through time, and then they engage subject matter that is absolutely critical to everyday life,鈥� says Dr. Sereno, who is dedicating time this year to raise funds for the $300 million museum project.聽

Already, three small museums have launched as part of a local education initiative.聽

The Agadez and Niamey museums, and accompanying funds for local universities, are meant to attract international academic interest and tourism as well as to support local research. Niger鈥檚 first paleontologists, it is hoped, might be in undergraduate courses right now. With the right guidance and funding 鈥� to do Ph.D. programs outside the country 鈥� they could start correcting the lopsided nature of paleontology, where resources and opportunities are concentrated in rich countries.

鈥淭he difficulty lies in not being able to use this heritage,鈥� says Mawli Dayak, an adviser to Niger鈥檚 president. 鈥淔or education, for teaching, for culture, or for Niger in general.鈥� But he adds that Niger Heritage has drummed up attention around Niger鈥檚 paleontological potential, and 鈥渢here are a lot of young people who are interested in these questions.鈥�

If Niger can grow its local paleontologists, says Sidi Abdella, logistics manager for Niger Heritage, 鈥淣iger will be among the biggest countries鈥� for paleontology.聽

Perhaps just as important, though, is developing pride among ordinary Nigeriens in their country鈥檚 stewardship.

鈥淲e can showcase this patrimony,鈥� says Mr. Abdella. 鈥淲e can say Niger is taking care of it.鈥澛�