From a pocketful of rocks to scientific director of palaeontological research

PhD candidate Dirley Cortés says that it takes grit and guts to navigate the challenges of being a Latin American woman in palaeontology.
By
  1. Efrain Rincon

    1. Efrain Rincon is a freelance journalist in Bogotá, Colombia.

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Born and raised in Villa de Leyva, Colombia, Dirley Cortés used to come home from family walks with her pockets full of rocks from the fossil-rich area around her small hometown. Her family, full of fossil collectors and preparators, used those rocks to inspire her to keep asking questions about how the world works.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00269-4

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 05 February 2024: An earlier version of this story erroneously described Padillasaurus as a large marine reptile. It was, in fact, a sauropod.

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