On the Expedition

Unearth the extraordinary evolutionary history of a time when two continents came together—before local development pressures destroy the remaining fossil record.

You’ll uncover fossils in the mountains and valleys of the San Miguel Allende basin in central Mexico, an area of major geological importance, stunning beauty, and the pressures of urban development. You’ll excavate specimens using brushes, ice picks, or chisels, and then plaster-jacket them for protection during transport. You’ll screen-wash sediments for smaller vertebrates, photograph and sketch finds, and even help prepare some of the fossils. Experience the great satisfaction of discovering a jaw, skull, or leg of a creature that existed more than 5 million years ago and now emerges to tell us wonderful and intriguing stories.

In your recreational time, you can relax at the pool, take in the nightlife of San Miguel, or visit nearby Dolor Hidalgo for the world’s most amazing assortment of ice-cream.

Meals and Accommodations

You'll share a hotel room, including a private bath and reliable electricity, with one of your teammates at the Hotel Parador El Cortijo, a comfortable western-style hotel with gardens and a swimming pool a short drive from San Miguel City. You'll enjoy continental breakfasts and hearty, homemade Mexican dinners at the hotel; in the field you’ll have sandwiches, fruit, cheese, chips, choriso and eggs, and enjoy an occasional barbecue with Dr. Carranza's secret recipe.

About the Research Area

The San Miguel de Allende area in northeastern Guanajuato is one of the most interesting areas of Mexico in both cultural and geological terms. San Miguel de Allende city offers a glimpse into Old Mexico and retains the atmosphere of a 16th-century colonial town. The city contains many breathtaking churches (among them the Church of San Francisco, constructed in 1779, and the well-known Church of San Miguel, constructed in 1880), museums (such as The House of Ignacio Allende, which exhibits archaeological and historical elements of Guanajuato and México), restaurants, shopping centers, and art galleries. It has a population of fewer than 90,000 inhabitants. Many in the city speak English, and staff members can serve as interpreters when needed.

The most important field sites on the project include Rancho El Ocote, Rinconada, Arroyo Tepalcates and the Rancho Viejo areas, located near dirt roads, in shallow dried arroyos, and in Los Galvanes with its many deep and astonishing canyons. The area has characteristic Mexican desert flora and fauna.