Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio
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The Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (MEF, in ) is a science research and exhibition center in
Trelew Trelew (, from "town" and the name of the founder, Lewis Jones) is a city in the eastern part of the Chubut Province of Argentina, 21km away from the coast. Located in Patagonia, the city is the largest and most populous in the low valley of the ...
city,
Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
, 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 preserve ...
remains of
fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...
and
flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...
of Patagonia, and the changes that affected the region over geological time. The museum is named for geologist Egidio Feruglio. MEF is one of Argentina's main scientific institutions, with a robust research program in areas including vertebrate and invertebrate
paleontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure ge ...
,
paleobotany Paleobotany or palaeobotany, also known as paleophytology, is the branch of botany dealing with the recovery and identification of plant fossils from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments ( pal ...
, and
ichnology A trace fossil, also called an ichnofossil (; ), is a fossil record of biological activity by lifeforms, but not the preserved remains of the organism itself. Trace fossils contrast with body fossils, which are the fossilized remains of part ...
, 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 is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...
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 143.1 Mya. ...
'', a
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
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 The Chubut River (; ; ) is located in the Patagonia region of southern Argentina. Its name comes from the Tehuelche word , which means 'transparent'. The Argentine Chubut Province, through which the river flows, is named after it. Welsh settle ...
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 The National Scientific and Technical Research Council (, CONICET) is an Argentine government agency which directs and co-ordinates most of the scientific and technical research done in universities and institutes. History The National Scient ...
), 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 thr ...
, '' Patagotitan mayorum,'' the largest
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
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
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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 in Argentina Museums in Chubut Province Natural history museums in Argentina
Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio The Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (MEF, in ) is a science research and exhibition center in Trelew city, Patagonia, Argentina. Its permanent and travelling exhibitions focus on the fossil remains of fauna and flora of Patagonia, and the ...
Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio The Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (MEF, in ) is a science research and exhibition center in Trelew city, Patagonia, Argentina. Its permanent and travelling exhibitions focus on the fossil remains of fauna and flora of Patagonia, and the ...
Dinosaur museums in Argentina