Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs

During the American Museum of Natural History's Central Asiatic Expeditions of the 1920s, Andrews' team worked these cliffs extensively. In July 1923 team member George Olsen reported finding fossil eggs; once examined, they proved to be the first recognised non-avian dinosaur eggs. The eggs were first credited to Protoceratops, the most common dinosaur at the site, but a skeleton found with a nest was later named Oviraptor, the egg thief. Much later research showed such animals were brooding their eggs, not stealing them.

The rocks belong to the Late Cretaceous Djadochta Formation, which has also yielded Velociraptor; the type specimen used to name the genus in 1924 came from here. Removing fossils from the area without permits is illegal.

Herding families graze camels and goats on the plain around Bayanzag, and visits with these families are often part of Gobi tours, bringing welcome income to local households. Do not buy anything presented as a fossil: export and trade of fossils are restricted and such items may be illegal or fake.