Dong is among the most successful dinosaur hunters in the world, and has helped to uncover the scientific treasure trove of dinosaurs that lay hidden under the badlands of western and central China.
Thousands of years ago, the people of China first discovered huge bones in their fields. They assumed that the bones came from dragons, the source of rain and good luck in Chinese traditional thought. Many of the "dragon bones" were ground up and used as medicine -- a practice that continues to this day in some areas of China.
Today, however, the traditional pharmacists have competition for dragon bones.
Chinese paleontologists like Dong Zhiming are recovering precious fossils that show the links between dinosaurs and birds, offer clues about the social behavior of dinosaurs, and provide insight into dinosaur parenting techniques. Who knows what the dragons of China will teach us next?