Here, I present a biographical account of my personal journey to become a palaeontologist. In doing so, I show how my colleagues and I generate new knowledge in the field of vertebrate palaeontology. I discuss some of the different ways in which we decipher information about animals that have been dead for millions of years from worlds that have long gone. Thereafter, I hone in on how my work with colleagues in different parts of the world has led to the discovery of new dinosaurs. More specifically, I explain how my research on the microscopic structure of fossil bones of dinosaurs (including early birds) has led to a much better appreciation of their growth dynamics and biology. I also discuss the insights that my research has provided in terms of the evolution of gigantism in non-avian dinosaurs and birds, as well as the impact of disease on the skeletons of extinct animals.