Darla Zelenitsky

Post Doctoral Fellow, Alberta Ingenuity Fund

When a female dinosaur skeleton was found in southeastern China and two shelled eggs were discovered lying side by side in its fossilized pelvis, University of Calgary's Dr. Darla Zelenitsky was called in. Co-authored by four other scientists, her findings appeared in the April 15, 2004 issue of Science magazine. Zelenitsky, 36, a postdoctoral fellow in paleontology at the University of Calgary and the Royal Tyrrell Museum, is considered an international expert in the area of dinosaur reproductive biology. The discovery was the first of its kind since shelled eggs have never been found inside any vertebrate fossil, be it a dinosaur, turtle, lizard or crocodile. And in the debate among scientists that questions if dinosaurs are more similar to reptiles or birds, this particular specimen shows that the dinosaur was in transition from reptile to bird and supports the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs. As well, the 75- to 80-million-year-old oviraptorosaurian dinosaur specimen shows that dinosaurs, apart from having two ovaries instead of one, have the same egg-laying style as birds. A few months after her findings were published, she was awarded the 2004 Alberta Ingenuity Fellowship to continue her groundbreaking studies on dinosaur evolution. She is working under the supervision of her mentor and world-renowned dinosaur expert Dr. Philip Currie. - DH

How important are international partnerships in fostering innovation and furthering the advancement of science?
If we're talking about paleontology then international partnerships are extremely important because dinosaurs didn't recognize borders so we actually have to work with people in other countries in order to understand the biology of dinosaurs. And, of course, because of logistics and financing. If you can split the cost, it certainly helps.

Who do you think is the greatest Albertan ever?
Dr. Philip J. Currie. He single-handedly fostered dinosaur research in Alberta and was the founder of the Royal Tyrrell Museum. If it wasn't for him we probably wouldn't have much in the way of dinosaur research here right now.

In 100 years, will you warrant your own chapter in the history books, a footnote to great events or a single Google hit?
I would like to say that my research, in collaboration with others, I hope would warrant a chapter in a history book. A single Google hit? Well, probably.