Digging For Dinosaurs: Malaysian Paleontologist Dr Rummy's Fossil-finding Adventures

By Wong Chun Wai

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysian fossil scientist Dr Paul Rummy combs the desert of China and neighbouring parts of Central Asia looking for bones of dinosaurs, crocodiles, fishes, birds and other ancient lives dated back millions of years ago.

While Dr Henry Walton 'Indiana' Jones is a fictitious character in the Hollywood movies, this Kuantan-born associate researcher is a real person who gets his hands dirty, under the scorching sun, looking for these forgotten creatures.

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Dr Rummy works at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, essentially for the study of ancient vertebrate animals and ancient humans.

The Chinese-speaking scholar is also a graduate of the prestigious Tsinghua University, which is China’s top university.

“My job involves collecting materials from excavations and piecing them together to determine what animals they belonged to.

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“I analyse the morphological features of these remains to identify whether the extinct animal is related to a known species or represents something entirely new to science.

“This process requires a deep understanding of the subject and a great deal of time and patience - sometimes, the answer appears suddenly, like a “Eureka!” moment,” he said in an interview.

Dr Rummy, 39, is currently working on several subjects, particularly focusing on ancient crocodilians.

“Crocodiles have existed for millions of years, long before the present day, and studying their history provides fascinating insights into their evolution. I am also involved in research on trace fossils, and dinosaur faunas, and even touch on the topic of palaeontology ethics.

“There is a lot of hard and detailed work. Certainly not as glamorous as in the movies, as in the past years, I have worked both on body fossils and trace fossils, such as fossilised poop, too.

“Footprints, and other evidence of ancient life preserved beneath our feet. These traces, locked in time, hold incredible information, but uncovering their secrets requires expertise and persistence,” he said.

Beyond research-based work, Dr Rummy has to work with stakeholders on a variety of projects, ranging from excavation to exhibition, popular sciences and museum-related tasks.

He said his responsibilities are a balance between fieldwork and office research, adding that there is no fixed schedule.

“It’s not a typical 8 am to 5 pm job. Instead, you work around the clock, often seven days a week, driven by tasks, scientific questions and the pursuit of answers.

So, how did his journey begin?

“I never knew what palaeontology was until the subject found me. I had the opportunity to transition my focus from conserving endangered animals to studying creatures that went completely extinct millions of years ago.

“Throughout my childhood, ancient giant creatures seemed like they only existed in malls, theme parks, or movies. It wasn’t until I enrolled in a PhD programme that I realised the paleo world was far more fascinating and profound than I had ever imagined. It’s about deep time - something that stretches back over 100 million years, encompassing all the animals and plants that once thrived on Earth,” he explained.

Dr Rummy said he applied for a Master’s degree programme at Tsinghua University in 2014 because it offered courses in English along with a full scholarship.

“My time at Tsinghua was incredible - the environment was excellent, and everything I needed to succeed in my studies was readily available.

“The motivation and support I experienced there inspired me to pursue a PhD at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Both universities are ranked among the top in the world, and I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to study at these prestigious institutions,” he said.

On his memorable experiences, Dr Rummy shared about his adventure in Harbin on an autumn evening.

“We had spent the whole day searching with no success, and just as we were about to call it a day, we discovered a 90-million-year-old complete skeleton. It was indeed an unforgettable moment,” he said.

Dr Rummy said his colleagues recently found a two-million-year-old Sabretooth cat poo in Longgupo, Wushan in China.

“These are known as coprolites, and the study of fossilized excreta is often overlooked in palaeontology. However, coprolites act as time capsules, offering insights that bones alone cannot provide.

“They can reveal dietary information about the organism, as well as important clues for paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental studies. Additionally, they preserve data on taphonomy and more,” he said.

He also shared the rare case of finding a dinosaur remains in an area located within the Yanji town in Jilin Province, in northeast China.

“The local government took this discovery seriously and invested considerable efforts in preserving the site, which was originally a housing construction project,’’ he said.

He credits his supervisor, Prof Xu Xing, a director of his institute, for the opportunities that he has given to him, including his guidance.

Dr Rummy, who learned Mandarin when he was in school in Malaysia, has a five-year-old daughter, who shares the same curiosity as his father, and “keeps snakes as pets”.

“Beijing has truly become our home, and the Malaysian expat community here has become like a family to us. During festive seasons, we often come together to enjoy nasi lemak, making it a special tradition to stay connected with our roots,” he added.

-- BERNAMA 

** Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai is a journalist with over 40 years of experience. He is currently the chairman of Bernama, the national news agency.