The Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (MEF, in es, Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio) is a science research and exhibition center in

Trelew Trelew (, from cy, tref "town" and the name of the founder, Lewis Jones) is a city in the eastern part of the Chubut Province of Argentina. Located in Patagonia, the city is the largest and most populous in the low valley of the Chubut River, wit ...

city,

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...

, Argentina. Its permanent and travelling exhibitions focus on the

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

remains of

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

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flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

of Patagonia, and the changes that affected the region over geological time. The museum is named for geologist

Egidio Feruglio Egidio Feruglio (10 September 1897 – 14 July 1954) was an Italian-born geologist who spent most of his career in Argentina. Early life The seventh of twelve sons, Feruglio finished grammar school in 1914, and then enrolled at the University ...

. MEF is one of Argentina's main scientific institutions, with a robust research program in areas including vertebrate and invertebrate

paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

paleobotany Paleobotany, which is also spelled as palaeobotany, is the branch of botany dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments (paleogeogr ...

, and ichnology, and has a group focusing on plants in semi-desert environments.

MEF exhibitions

MEF's permanent exhibition is a journey into the natural past of Patagonia. It begins about 10,000 years ago, with the first human settlements in the area. In each room, specimens from both terrestrial and marine life forms are shown for each geological period, up to the early Paleozoic. The

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...

hall depicting the giant dinosaurs of Patagonia is perhaps the most popular attraction in the museum. The journey goes on at the mini-theatre with a film showing the evolution of the Universe back to the Big Bang itself. The exhibition also offers a view into MEF's largest, state-of-the-art preparation laboratory, where fossils are carefully cleaned and separated from the rock encasing them. Visitors can here witness the progress of actual work done on the most recent fossil findings. ''The Mystery of the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

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production featuring MEF scientists, is shown daily in the "Germán Sopeña" Auditórium is The traveling exhibition featuring the "Dinosaurs of Patagonia" has visited many cities in Argentina and abroad. A recent European tour included Germany, Spain, Portugal, and the Czech Republic. Replicas of exhibits have been provided to museums in several countries.

Bryn Gwyn Geopark

MEF also administers the Bryn Gwyn Geopark, a large natural geological reserve located 8 km South of Gaiman, and about 25 km from Trelew. The park is located on the slanted lands that separate the Chubut River valley from the higher Patagonian steppe. The trail exhibits typical fossils (both real and replicas) up to 40 million years old.

Research

MEF is an "Associated Research Unit" to Argentina's National Research Council ( CONICET), a qualification attained by very few local NGOs. Almost all of MEF researchers and postdoctoral fellows are CONICET career scientists. The Museum's research area includes a collection which had more than 17,000 fossils in 2009, a preparation laboratory, and campaign equipment. It also has a workshop for making replicas of fossils, used for research and displayed in exhibitions.

Expeditions

In 2014, a team of paleontologists from the museum excavated the remains in Patagonia of seven specimens of a

titanosaur Titanosaurs (or titanosaurians; members of the group Titanosauria) were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, including genera from all seven continents. The titanosaurs were the last surviving group of long-necked sauropods, with taxa still th ...

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Patagotitan mayorum ''Patagotitan'' is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Cerro Barcino Formation in Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The genus contains a single species known from multiple individuals: ''Patagotitan mayorum'', first announc ...

,'' the largest

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

ever found. A replica of a 37-metre-long skeleton made by the museum is on display in the Natural History Museum in London, England from March 2023.

Outreach and educational programs

The Museum's outreach department includes activities for families, schools and the global community. Some recent examples include: * Open house: free admission and special activities during one weekend of June. * Paleodesafío: a knowledge-based competition on Paleontology, Geology and Astronomy for secondary schools in the Chubut province. * Explorers in Pyjamas: children spend the night in the Museum, playing, learning, and, finally, sleeping with the dinosaurs in the exhibition. * Café Scientifique: a cup of coffee and an informal conversation with a scientist. MEF scientists visit schools and advise teachers and students on related educational projects. The museum's website and

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

pageMEF Patagonia group
Facebook. offer tourist information, non-technical articles, educational resources, etc.

References

External links

Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio (MEF)
{{authority control Museums established in 1990 Fossil museums Museums in Chubut Province Natural history museums in Argentina

Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio The Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (MEF, in es, Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio) is a science research and exhibition center in Trelew city, Patagonia, Argentina. Its permanent and travelling exhibitions focus on the fossil remains ...

Dinosaur museums