TRACKING AN ANCIENT KILLER.

The article discusses the work of paleontologists and geologists in determining what caused the death of ancient animals, mostly species of dinosaurs, in what is now Madagascar. The cause of death of the fossilized animals was studied through geologic dating techniques and taphonomy, which studies the fate of organic remains as they die, as well as the geologic history of Madagascar landmass. The authors determined that drought was the killer of these ancient animals. INSET: Dining on the Dead.