Palaeontologia Electronica...Among the different paleontological disci-plines, vertebrate...

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Palaeontologia Electronica http://palaeo-electronica.org Diana Elizabeth Fernández. Instituto de Estudios Andinos Don Pablo Groeber (UBA – CONICET). Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón 2, C1428EGA, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected], [email protected] Leticia Luci. Instituto de Estudios Andinos Don Pablo Groeber (UBA – CONICET). Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón 2, C1428EGA, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected] Cecilia Soledad Cataldo. Instituto de Estudios Andinos Don Pablo Groeber (UBA – CONICET). Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón 2, C1428EGA, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected] Damián Eduardo Pérez. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, División Paleoinvertebrados, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected] Keywords: Argentina; Argentinian Paleontological Association; Paleontology Degree; Paleontological Heritage; Outreach; Grants and Employment Fernández, Diana Elizabeth, Luci, Leticia, Cataldo, Cecilia Soledad, and Pérez, Damián Eduardo. 2014. Paleontology in Argentina: History, heritage, funding, and education from a southern perspective. Palaeontologia Electronica 17.3.6E;1-18; palaeo-electronica.org/content/2014/1003-comment-paleontology-in-argentina Paleontology in Argentina: History, heritage, funding, and education from a southern perspective Diana Elizabeth Fernández, Leticia Luci, Cecilia Soledad Cataldo, and Damián Eduardo Pérez BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF PALEONTOLOGY IN ARGENTINA “(...) y siendo estos monumentos un testimonio auténtico y demostrable de que en la antigüedad hubo en esta región americana, sea antes o pos el diluvio, racionales gigantes (…)” …and these monuments are an authentic and demonstrable testimony that in antiquity there was in the American region, either before or after the Flood, giant rational beings... Translated from a letter by Esteban Álvarez del Fierro to the then Buenos Aires mayor, about his discoveries in Arrecifes (Gutiérrez, 1866). There is a long tradition of paleontological research in Argentina. In 1766 Esteban Álvarez del Fierro reported the first fossils found in Argentinian territory, from Arrecifes, Buenos Aires province. Through the following years, large mammals were discovered in Luján and other nearby localities, and were sent to Spain for examination (Schável- zon and Arenas, 1992). These were mainly remains of Megatherium (Figure 1.1). Between 1833 and 1835, during his famous voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle, Charles Darwin visited several Argentinian localities, where he collected numer-

Transcript of Palaeontologia Electronica...Among the different paleontological disci-plines, vertebrate...

Page 1: Palaeontologia Electronica...Among the different paleontological disci-plines, vertebrate paleontology is the one with the longest history in Argentina, represented by the previously

Palaeontologia Electronica http://palaeo-electronica.org

Paleontology in Argentina:History, heritage, funding, and education from a southern

perspective

Diana Elizabeth Fernández, Leticia Luci, Cecilia Soledad Cataldo,and Damián Eduardo Pérez

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF PALEONTOLOGY IN ARGENTINA

“(...) y siendo estos monumentos un testimonio auténtico y demostrable de que en laantigüedad hubo en esta región americana, sea antes o pos el diluvio, racionalesgigantes (…)”…and these monuments are an authentic and demonstrable testimony that in antiquitythere was in the American region, either before or after the Flood, giant rationalbeings... Translated from a letter by Esteban Álvarez del Fierro to the then Buenos Aires mayor,about his discoveries in Arrecifes (Gutiérrez, 1866).

There is a long tradition of paleontologicalresearch in Argentina. In 1766 Esteban Álvarez delFierro reported the first fossils found in Argentinianterritory, from Arrecifes, Buenos Aires province.Through the following years, large mammals werediscovered in Luján and other nearby localities,

and were sent to Spain for examination (Schável-zon and Arenas, 1992). These were mainlyremains of Megatherium (Figure 1.1). Between1833 and 1835, during his famous voyage on theH.M.S. Beagle, Charles Darwin visited severalArgentinian localities, where he collected numer-

Diana Elizabeth Fernández. Instituto de Estudios Andinos Don Pablo Groeber (UBA – CONICET). Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón 2, C1428EGA, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected], [email protected] Luci. Instituto de Estudios Andinos Don Pablo Groeber (UBA – CONICET). Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón 2, C1428EGA, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected] Soledad Cataldo. Instituto de Estudios Andinos Don Pablo Groeber (UBA – CONICET). Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón 2, C1428EGA, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected]án Eduardo Pérez. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, División Paleoinvertebrados, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected]

Keywords: Argentina; Argentinian Paleontological Association; Paleontology Degree; Paleontological Heritage; Outreach; Grants and Employment

Fernández, Diana Elizabeth, Luci, Leticia, Cataldo, Cecilia Soledad, and Pérez, Damián Eduardo. 2014. Paleontology in Argentina: History, heritage, funding, and education from a southern perspective. Palaeontologia Electronica 17.3.6E;1-18;palaeo-electronica.org/content/2014/1003-comment-paleontology-in-argentina

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ous fossils and made important geological obser-vations (Aguirre-Urreta et al., 2009). Many of thesefossils were studied by European researchers suchas Edward Forbes, G. B. Sowerby, and RichardOwen (Darwin, 1846). These studies, together withthe observations made by other European natural-ists, for instance Alcide d’Orbigny (d’Orbigny,1842), constituted the basis for the emergence ofpaleontological knowledge of the region. Many ofthe materials collected in this period remain in for-eign institutions such as the Natural HistoryMuseum, London.

In the later nineteenth century came the firstdiscoveries and studies by native Argentinians,including Francisco Muñíz and Florentino Amegh-ino (Figure 1.2). The latter is considered as thefounding father of Argentinian paleontology, beingthe first to engage in the professional study ofArgentina’s fossils. Ameghino was a contemporaryof an important group of foreign-born researcherswho came to the country driven by the emergenceof Argentinian scientific institutions; this groupincluded Hermann Burmeister, Auguste Bravardand Pellegrino Strobel.

Among the different paleontological disci-plines, vertebrate paleontology is the one with thelongest history in Argentina, represented by thepreviously mentioned observations of Muñíz, suc-ceeded by the works of Burmeister and Bravard(Reig, 1961). This was followed by the great worksof Ameghino, that included studies on fossil mam-mals as well as evolutionary, geological and bio-geographic analyses (for a full review, seeFernícola et al., 2011). The diversity of studiesincreased in the late 1930s, with the emergence ofnative researchers such as Lucas Kraglievich, Car-los Rusconi and Ángel Cabrera, as well as thework of foreign paleontologists George GaylordSimpson and Friedrich von Huene. In the secondhalf of the twentieth century, key studies on dino-saurs were made by evolutionary biologist OsvaldoReig and then by José Bonaparte. Recent decadesof fossil vertebrate studies in Argentina have pro-duced a generation of researchers who expandedknowledge of the field and achieved renown fortheir findings in local units (Pascual, 1981; Tonni,2005).

The earliest geological studies of Argentinaincluded descriptions of fossil plants, for exampleby d’Orbigny and Darwin (Ottone, 2005, 2011). Afossil trunk reported by Félix de Azara in 1809 isconsidered to be the first record of fossil plants inthe country (Ottone, 2001). The formal beginningsof paleobotany took place during the last decadesof the nineteenth century. Palynology began itsdevelopment in the 1950s, with the advent of theappropriate techniques and methodology (Archan-gelsky, 2005). Some of the main contributors wereFederico Kurtz, Joaquín Frenguelli, Carlos Menén-dez and Sergio Archangelsky.

Some of the earliest mentions of fossil inverte-brates in the country were once again by d’Orbignyand Darwin, with the material being studied bySowerby. The work of Carl Gottsche on the Juras-sic fauna of Paso del Espinacito (San Juan prov-ince) in 1878 represents the first formal research

FIGURE 1. 1. Original skeleton of Megatherium ameri-canum Owen displayed in the Bernardino RivadaviaMuseum of Natural Sciences (MACN). Graphic scale =1 m. Photo courtesy of Marcelo Miñana. 2. FlorentinoAmeghino in his study. Taken from Fernícola et al.(2011). 3. Horacio H. Camacho in the presentation ofthe book Los Invertebrados Fósiles in 2008. Photo cour-tesy of Mónica Longobucco.

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on local invertebrate fossils (Riccardi, 1981). In the1880s and 1890s the number of studies increasednotably, including the results of several expeditionsto Argentina by European and American scientists(e.g., Otto Nordenskjöld, John B. Hatcher, GustavSteinmann). The contributions of Hermann vonIhering in the early twentieth century are also worthmentioning. As early as the 1920s and 1930s, thework of local researchers begun to gain notice, withthe studies by Martín Doello Jurado (Aguirre-Urretaand Camacho, 2011) and Horacio Harrington as astarting point (Harrington, 1937; Riccardi, 1981,2005). An important landmark was the publicationof the book Fossil Invertebrates (InvertebradosFósiles) by Horacio Camacho (1966). An updatedand expanded second edition appeared in 2008(Camacho and Longobucco, 2008; Figure 1.3). Forfurther details on recent history, see Riccardi(2005), who compiled a group-by-group revision oflocal research during the last century, includingcontributions in micropaleontology and ichnology.

NATIONAL SCIENCE POLICY AND FUNDING

In a way, the development of paleontology inArgentina goes hand in hand with the political andeconomic history of the nation itself. In order tounderstand the current status of paleontology inthe country, it is necessary to mention some gen-eral characteristics of science policy and funding inArgentina. Most of the scientific research done inArgentinian universities and institutes (whetherpublic or private) is funded, directed and/or coordi-nated by government agencies. The scientific andtechnological progress of the country is currentlyconsidered as a national priority (H.C.N.A., 2001;MECT, 2006). This was not always the case, espe-cially during the 1990s. In 2007, the Science, Tech-nology and Productive Innovation Ministry orMINCyT (Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Inno-vación Productiva) was created, with the intentionto place science and technology in the service ofthe economic and social development of the coun-try (H.C.N.A., 2007). A special program was devel-oped to facilitate, among other things, the return ofArgentinian researchers working abroad (H.C.N.A.,2008).

CONICET, an independent organization underthe jurisdiction of the MINCyT, is the main institu-tion that promotes science and technology in thecountry (P.N.A., 1996, 2007). The acronym CON-ICET stands for Consejo Nacional de Investiga-ciones Científicas y Técnicas (National Scientificand Technical Research Council). Some of its mainobjectives are: 1) the funding and support of scien-

tific and technological activities within the countrythrough research grants and fellowships; 2) theorganization and funding of institutes, laboratoriesand research centers; 3) the promotion of interna-tional cooperation; and 4) the administration of theScientific Researcher Career (Carrera del Investi-gador Científico; CIC) and the Personnel in Sup-port of Research Career (Carrera de Personal deApoyo a la Investigación y al Desarrollo; CPA)(P.N.A., 1996, 2007). Its academic activities aredivided into four principal areas: 1) Agrarian Sci-ences, Engineering, and Materials Science; 2) Bio-logical and Health Sciences; 3) Exact and NaturalSciences (excluding biology); and, 4) Social Sci-ences and Humanities. The board is integrated bya president and eight researchers actively involvedin one of the previously mentioned four areas(P.N.A., 1996, 2007). The Exact and Natural Sci-ences Area includes approximately 26% of allCONICET researchers and 20% of its doctoral andpostdoctoral fellows, and nucleates the followingdisciplines: Earth, Water and Atmospheric Sci-ences, Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy andChemistry (G.R.H.-CONICET, 2012a, 2013). Pale-ontological research falls within the first subdisci-pline.

Most Argentinian paleontologists work asCONICET researchers (see below). Apart fromtheir salaries, CONICET researchers can apply forproject funds. CONICET currently finances 34 proj-ects of varied paleontological interest, representing31% of the whole Earth sciences projects presentlyunder execution (based on information provided bythe Evaluation and Planification Management—Gerencia de Evaluación y Planificación—of CON-ICET).

Similarly to CONICET, the Agency of Scientificand Technological Promotion (Agencia Nacional dePromoción Científica y Tecnológica; ANPCyT),also funds numerous projects regardless of theinstitutional affiliation of the applicant. This nation-wide financial source presents an even strongerpresence of paleontology within the Earth sciencescategory; in the 2013 call for projects, ANPCyTfinanced 26 projects in assorted paleontologicaltopics, resulting in 44.1% of all the Earth sciencesprojects. Of these, 15 projects were given to youngresearchers beginning their line of investigation;two went to recently formed research groups andnine to stable, pre-established research groupswith a long tradition in their respective subjects.This indicates a strong presence of both new pale-ontologists as well as consolidated groups in which

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several paleontologists, both seniors and young,collaborate.

Federalism of science and technology ismainly promoted through higher salaries andgrants available for those researchers that plan onsettling on academic institutions outside the mainmetropolitan areas in which most research centersare nowadays concentrated (CONICET, 2013).Between 2003 and 2012, the number of humanresources (i.e., scientists, technicians and doctoraland postdoctoral fellows) in the city of BuenosAires increased approximately 149%. In the prov-inces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Men-doza and the rest of the country, the increment hasbeen of 162%, 195%, 159%, 139% and 166%,respectively (G.R.H.-CONICET, 2012b). During thesame time period, based on data published by theMINCyT, salaries of CONICET scientists increasedby over 843%. The real increment in salaries andbudget is actually lower due to consumer priceindex (CPI) variations. The magnitude of CPI varia-tions since 2007 has been strongly debated inArgentina, since CPI values published by different

private and public sources may be twice or morethe values published by the official institute of sta-tistics (INDEC) (H.C.D.N., 2009 to 2014; INDEC,2014). Another indicator of the government’sinvestment in research and development is thepercentage of the gross domestic product (GDP)invested (GDP); it went from 0.42% in 1996 to0.65% in 2011, an increase of nearly 55% (Figure2.1-2; MINCyT, 2013).

The presence of paleontological projects indifferent funding sources is quite important withinthe area of knowledge in which paleontology isincluded (usually Earth sciences). For example, ofthe research projects financed by the University ofBuenos Aires (Universidad de Buenos Aires; UBA)within the engineering and environmental sciencesarea (which includes paleontology) in the last fewyears, 6.4% are projects involving a variety of pale-ontological aspects (invertebrate paleontology,micropaleontology, vertebrate paleontology, ichnol-ogy, etc.). These are, however, restricted to teach-ers within the university.

In comparison to previous decades, science inArgentina is going through a springtime period.Nevertheless, on a worldwide scale, the scenario isnot ideal. Even with better salaries and more fund-ing, Argentinian science is still disadvantagedwhen compared to developed countries (MINCyT,2013). In those nations, over 65% of the fundsinvested on science come from private sectors(MINCyT, 2013), while in Argentina, which is adeveloping country, the main contributors are stateorganisms (MINCyT, 2013). Articulation betweenthe research from public and private sectors hasrecently been prioritized but still remains at its ini-tial stage (MINCyT, 2011).

Budgets are usually insufficient when suppliesfrom abroad are needed or when traveling abroadis involved. These difficulties have been increasedwith the CPI variations, which coupled to the longtime intervals between grant writing and submis-sion and between submission and funding release,have resulted in original budgets always runningshort. In addition, the sums for scientific grantshave only been updated this last call for proposals(Rocca, 2014), and restrictions and extra taxes arecurrently being applied to purchases in foreign cur-rency (Wharton School, 2011; ANPCyT, 2014;World Review, 2014). For these reasons, mosttechnological equipment and supplies are not easyto obtain.

FIGURE 2. 1. Expenditure on scientific and technologi-cal activities in the period 1996–2011 expressed in per-centage of the GDP. Source: MINCyT (2013). 2.Expenditure on scientific and technological activities inthe period 1996–2011 expressed in millions of Argentin-ian Pesos. Source: MINCyT (2013).

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CAREERS IN PALEONTOLOGY

Degrees

Scientific careers in Argentina are usuallystructured in a five-year program, after which agraduate degree (called licenciatura) is obtained.Programs are commonly divided into two cycles: athree- to four-year-long core cycle, in which a num-ber of general and basic subjects are taken; and acycle of orientation (usually lasting one to twoyears), in which each student must choose a fewelective subjects from a pool of different topics.Most science-oriented careers are offered only inpublic universities. In these, degrees are free andopen and many different kinds of scholarships andgrants are available, mainly from the governmentagencies and universities. All Argentinian universi-ties mentioned here are public.

Paleontology as a subject can be found in thegeology and biology programs of many universi-ties. At least one course of paleontology is includedwithin the geology program in most cases, while itis less common or elective in the biology degrees.Geology, biology and the recently created paleon-tology (see below) degrees in Argentina usuallyinvolve about 20–30 (or more, in some semesters)weekly hours of classes, on top of which the stu-dent must add the time it takes to prepare for class,make reports and study for exams. This presents adifficulty for those students who need to work tosupport their studies, commonly taking them a fewmore years to graduate.

Traditionally, people wanting to work as pale-ontologists obtained a degree in geology or biol-ogy, including as many paleontological topics aspossible in their program. Only the National Univer-sity of La Plata (Universidad Nacional de la Plata,UNLP) offered a biology degree with orientation topaleontology. No formal degree in paleontologyexisted until it was created a few years ago in theUBA. The latter is the most important university ofthe country regarding budget, academic offer andnumber of students (SIU, 2011; Top Universities,2014); it has a number of faculties distributedacross the city of Buenos Aires, and a variety ofassociated centers of research and education (TopUniversities, 2014). In 2002, the degree in paleon-tology (Figures 3, 4) was created within the Facultyof Exact and Natural Sciences (Facultad de Cien-cias Exactas y Naturales; FCEN), becoming thefirst degree in paleontology in Argentina and LatinAmerica. Shortly after, in 2009, the National Uni-versity of Río Negro (Universidad Nacional de RíoNegro; UNRN) also created a five-year degree in

paleontology (Figure 3). Paleontology both in theUBA and UNRN cover invertebrate and vertebratepaleontology, micropaleontology, paleobotany,paleoecology, taphonomy and biostratigraphy aswell as geologic and biologic subjects; bothcareers are strongly interdisciplinary. They differsomewhat on which subjects are elective andwhich are included as mandatory courses. Theircurricula are also structured in a different way (Fig-ure 3). In the UNRN there are more, shortercourses per semester, while in the UBA there arefewer but they have a greater load of class hours.Both programs require a degree thesis to graduate,as do many other science-oriented careers in thecountry.

The paleontology program in the UNRN offersan intermediate degree, a Diploma in Geosciencesafter the first two years of study, which are commonto the geology degree and are thus more focusedon general (mathematics, chemistry, physics) andgeological subjects. From the third year on, the bio-logical and paleontological subjects gain impor-tance while maintaining some geological topics(Figure 3).

The degree in the UBA does not offer an inter-mediate title, and includes one extra year, theBasic Common Cycle (Ciclo Básico Común; CBC).This is composed of six subjects, some of whichare common to all degrees from the UBA whilstothers are general subjects varying according tothe career. The CBC is compulsory and studentsmust pass all six subjects in order to begin theirdegree studies (Figure 3).

Since it started functioning, the paleontologyprogram in the UBA has had a small but steadyflow of students. Around 10 students enrolled peryear for the period 2003–2006, whilst for the 2007–2011 interval the enrollment increased to about14–19 students, to later drop back to around 10students per year (Figure 4.1). Since 2008, about32 graduates have completed their paleontologystudies in the UBA. Many of the initial difficultieshave been removed while a few others are beingworked on, but overall the career has had a suc-cessful start and will likely continue to improve.

The paleontology degree in the UNRN hashad about 20 students beginning the course peryear, including students from Bolivia and Chile.There are no graduates yet; the earlier studentswill be graduating this year (Casadío, personalcommun., 2014).

Since for the last few years Argentina hasbeen the only Latin American country with adegree in paleontology, foreign students are com-

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mon. In 2011 there were 11 foreign studentsenrolled in paleontology in the UBA (C.G.P.E.I.,2011), including people from Chile, Colombia,Peru, Costa Rica and Ecuador. However, a newdegree has been created in Mexico, in the Human-ist University of the Americas (Universidad Human-ista de las Américas, UHA), and it has beenrunning since September 2010, with already threegraduates and 12 enrolled students to this date(Peña Ponce, personal commun., 2014). Also, apostgraduate degree with a tuition fee has beencreated this year in the Austral University of Chile(Universidad Austral de Chile, UACh), offering atwo-year program for a limited number of students,who must be graduates in biology, geology or

archaeology (Moreno, personal commun., 2014).This is excellent news since in Latin America thereis a lot of paleontological ground to cover and morepaleontologists are needed; these new degreesand specializations will hopefully give moreimpulse to the discipline in Latin America.

Grants and employment

The most stable and the commonest employ-ment for paleontologists in Argentina is academicresearch, or research plus teaching. As is the gen-eral rule worldwide, it is required to earn a Ph.D.before applying for a research position within CON-ICET. Fortunately, CONICET, UBA and ANPCyT allprovide fellowships (stipends) for graduates wish-

FIGURE 3. Flow chart summarizing the academic career for paleontologists in Argentina: schematic representation ofthe undergraduate and postgraduate studies and employment possibilities.

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ing to pursue a Ph.D. There is no formal Ph.D. inpaleontology yet, so thus far graduates haveenrolled either in geology or biology postgraduateprograms, which accept paleontological projects.Postdoctoral fellowships are available though onlythrough CONICET and in a more reduced numberthan doctoral fellowships. Applicants to the Scien-tific Researcher Career of CONICET (CIC) com-monly spend five to seven years as graduatestudents and/or postdoctoral fellows, with one ormore of these fellowships.

Applications for the CIC are evaluated by agroup of consultant peers (MINCyT, 2005a,b,2010). Furthermore, CONICET researchers areregularly evaluated by peers and must pass peri-odical reports in order to sustain a given category(there are five main CIC categories; P.N.A., 1976)or to apply for a promotion.

Between 2004 and 2008, approximately 25%of the CONICET researchers within the Earth,Water and Atmospheric Sciences Area worked invaried paleontological subjects. Moreover, the

number of graduate students that were given sti-pends to initiate their doctoral studies in paleonto-logical projects doubled between 2004 and 2013.

Another stable position can be obtained asPersonnel in Support of Research Career (CPA,also of CONICET). The CPA includes both profes-sionals and non-professionals involved in a greatvariety of tasks related to research, such as prepa-ration of rocks samples and fossils, assistance infieldwork, laboratory work, maintenance of equip-ment, administrative tasks, etc. Some may activelyparticipate in research as well. These personnelwork under the supervision of a researcher orresearch group. The CPA career is similar to theCIC in having several categories with differentrequirements and responsibilities and the opportu-nity to apply for promotions as well.

Many researchers also hold teaching posi-tions within universities. The teaching job systemdiffers across universities, but in many faculties ofthe UBA and in other universities as well, all teach-ing positions are assigned through open selection.

Although there is an official paleontologicalassociation in Argentina (APA) there is no profes-sional organization of paleontologists yet, nor aprofessional license in paleontology. Paleontolo-gists are needed for different kinds of private andgovernmental consultation, but are only rarely con-tacted directly by these potential employers. It isthus desirable that the profession became morewidely known to the public so that both public andprivate organizations will hire paleontologists.

As is evident from this account of job possibili-ties, employment offers for paleontologists aredominantly issued from government agencies, withthe private sector having a limited participation.There are some environmental consultants hiringpaleontologists as permanent employees, but mostother involvement of private businesses with pale-ontology is related to oil companies requiringmicropaleontologists, palynologists, or other pro-fessionals specialized in groups with biostrati-graphic value. Though common, these are notstable incomes, but temporary contracts.

Many positions that are directly related to thediscipline, but that have been until now occupiedby other professionals, should begin to be filled bypaleontologists. Examples include administrationand management of national parks with importantpaleontological content, curation of collections inmuseums throughout the country, paleotourism,and public outreach. There is much to do in thisrespect and only time and enthusiasm will tell howfar paleontologists can go as new graduates start

FIGURE 4. 1. Enrollment in the Paleontology Degree inthe University of Buenos Aires in the period 2003-2013.Source: DOV (2013). 2. Logo of the PaleontologyDegree of the UBA. Courtesy of M. Beatriz Aguirre-Urreta.

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exploring career paths and as their work becomesmore widely known.

PALEONTOLOGICAL HERITAGE PROTECTION

Efforts to provide legal safeguards to the pale-ontological and archaeological heritage of Argen-tina’s legal system date back to the mid nineteenthcentury. They include specific laws as well as regu-lations in the Argentinian Constitution and CivilCode.

As early as 1863, the government of the Bue-nos Aires province acknowledged the importanceof protecting the fossil remains under its jurisdictionfrom export outside the country. A decree wasissued stating that it was forbidden to collect fossilswithout a permit by the government, under mone-tary penalty (Camacho, 1971: p. 38).

Nevertheless, the first attempt of protection ofthis heritage at a national level dates back to 1913,when Act N° 9080 Archaeological Ruins and Sites(H.C.N.A., 1913; P.N.A., 1921) was enacted. Thislaw claimed that the archaeological and paleonto-logical remains of scientific interest were the prop-erty of the federal government. It also regulated theexploration and exploitation of the sites, by meansof work permits that were only to be issued to sci-entific institutions without commercial purposes,and established limitations to the possession ofremains or sites by individuals and private lands,considering the possibility of confiscation in specialcases (Endere and Podgorny, 1997; Endere andRolandi, 2007). Exportation was only allowed forduplicate items and always with due authorization.The Implementing Order of Act N° 9080, enactedin 1921, established the creation of an enforce-ment body (Sección de Yacimientos) that was tocarry out the implementation of this law as well asorganize and keep an official registry of all knownsites and permits issued for research. It alsodecreed it was compulsory to report any finding ofremains or sites to the authorities, either by particu-lars in private or public lands, or during private orpublic construction works. Endere and Podgorny(1997) and Endere and Rolandi (2007) summa-rized the historical context and the political circum-stances that led to the enactment of this bill.

Unfortunately, in spite of all its provisions, thislaw achieved very little, since the federal govern-ment made scarce efforts to enforce it. Its initialresolve to protect paleontological and archaeologi-cal heritage was not translated into action andtherefore the law was never really implemented(Endere and Podgorny, 1997; Endere and Rolandi,2007). The enforcement body was never created

and, over the 90 years during which this law was inforce, the illegal collecting and commercializationof Argentinian fossils and archaeological pieces didnot stop nor decline (Endere and Rolandi, 2007).

This situation of practical lack of protection ledseveral Argentinian provinces to start developingtheir own legislation on the matter. Some of theseregulations went against the national law, estab-lishing regional jurisdiction over the paleontologicaland archaeological heritage (Endere, 2001, 2002;Endere and Rolandi, 2007). Although some ofthese regulations were innovative and introducednew forms of protection for our heritage, they alsosuffered from a lack of practical application(Endere, 2001, 2002).

After the modifications introduced first in theCivil Code in 1968, and subsequently in the Consti-tution in 1994, the status of the paleontological andarchaeological heritage changed: the ownershippassed from the federal government to the provin-cial governments and the government of theAutonomous City of Buenos Aires. The role of thefederal government was now to dictate the generalprovisions for the protection of this heritage, whilstthe provinces were now responsible for its care.Thus, many provinces updated their specific legis-lation on the matter (Endere and Rolandi, 2007;S.C, 2013), even as Act N° 9080 remained obso-lete and contradicted some aspects of them andthe reformed Civil Code and Constitution (Endereand Podgorny, 1997).

Eventually, in 2003 the current law for the pro-tection of the archaeological and paleontologicalheritage was enacted, repealing Act N° 9080 andseeking to significantly update the set of pertinentrules (Endere and Rolandi, 2007). Federal Act N°25743/2003 Protection of the Archaeological andPaleontological Heritage, (H.C.N.A., 2003) pro-tects, preserves and regulates the activities involv-ing all paleontological and archaeological remainsand sites found in Argentinian territory, regardingthem as part of the Cultural Heritage of the country(APA, 2014a) and is thereby protected and pre-served so that it can be used for scientific and cul-tural purposes. The federal government exercisesthe legal safeguard of this heritage in the entireextent of the Argentinian territory, ensuring its pres-ervation, scientific research and diffusion, as wellas its protection and guardianship at the interna-tional level, arranging the return of archaeologicaland/or paleontological items to the country. Theprovincial governments and the government of theAutonomous City of Buenos Aires have the right ofownership and the duty of protection within their

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jurisdictions. Together, they must be able to coordi-nate actions that help develop a uniform legalframework and management throughout the terri-tory.

Concerning specifically the field of paleontol-ogy, the law states that the paleontological heritageincludes the organisms that lived in the geologicalpast or their parts or evidences of their life activi-ties, and every natural concentration of fossils inrocks or sediments exposed on or below the sur-face of the Nation’s territory or under the Nation’sterritorial waters.

Act N° 25743 establishes that the powers ofthe federal government are exercised by theNational Enforcement Authorities (AANs, Autori-dades de Aplicación Nacional de la Ley 25743) ofeach discipline, which are the competent agenciesresponsible for the application of this law at thenational level. The Bernardino Rivadavia Argentin-ian Museum of Natural Sciences (Museo Argentinode Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’) orMACN is the AAN with respect to the paleontologi-cal heritage (H.C.N.A., 2003; Parma et al., 2012)and is in charge of the organization and keeping ofthe National Registries of Paleontological Sites,Collections and Remains, and of First Offendersand Recidivists (Parma, 2010). It is entitled toauthorize loans and transportation of fossils out ofthe country and promote the return of Argentinianfossils currently outside the country (APA, 2014a).It should also cooperate and coordinate actionswith the competent agencies at the provincial level.

The roles of the provincial governments andthe government of the Autonomous City of BuenosAires are: 1) to create a competent agency respon-sible for the application of Act N° 25743 at the pro-vincial level; 2) to organize their respectiveregistries following the model of the AAN; 3) toissue work permits for scientific exploration andcollection of fossils; 4) to grant loans and authorizetransit of materials within the Argentinian territory;5) to create local offices; and 6) to communicateperiodically to the AAN the work permits issued,the loans and transports authorized, and the newentries to the registries.

The most prominent points of Act N° 25743are the detailed rules introduced for the registry ofsites and collections, the duties of the scientificresearchers for the application to licenses, theduties of the owners of private lands where archae-ological and paleontological sites were to be dis-covered, the obligation to report any type of findingof fossils or archaeological objects or sites, be it by

particulars or during the course of public or privateworks (Endere, 2002), and the duties of the privateowners of archaeological and paleontological col-lections or items.

In order to comply with the terms of Act Nº25743, all paleontologists planning to undertakefieldwork in a particular area of interest must for-mally request a work license to the competentagency of the jurisdiction in which that study areais located, proving their affiliation with an academicinstitution, stating expressly their exclusively scien-tific interest, establishing the geographical limits ofthe study area and the approximate dates and/orduration of the fieldworks, and providing a sum-mary of their research project in the area statinghypothesis, objectives, methodology, and logistics(Figure 5). Foreign researchers wishing to carryout paleontological fieldworks in Argentinian terri-tory must take the same steps and include an offi-cial written proof of their association with anArgentinian public university or scientific institution.After returning from the field, all licensees mustsubmit the fossils collected for inspection by thecompetent agency of the jurisdiction, after whichthey can request a permission of temporary pos-session of the materials for two years for study pur-poses—although it can be extended in justifiedcases. Once this period is completed, the materialsmust be returned to their jurisdiction to be kept in apublic repository. Should the materials be trans-ferred temporarily to a different jurisdiction withinthe territory of Argentina for study and/or exhibitionpurposes, an authorization must be obtained fromthe competent local agency (Figure 5). For trans-fers outside the country, the permission must beissued by the AAN. In all cases, their restitution totheir place of origin must be guaranteed.

The aforementioned steps and requirementsare intended as measures to prevent the illegalexploitation and trafficking of paleontological andarchaeological sites and remains, respectively.However, since it was enacted, Act Nº 25743 hasnot been immune to criticism. For instance, it hasbeen said that this set of procedures hampers thework of researchers (Riccardi, 2005), and that itworsens an already inefficient bureaucratic net-work (Tonni, 2005). And even though the law mayappear as an opportunity to create new jobs forpaleontologists, related for instance with the regis-tries of collections and sites or the evaluation ofpermit requests, this seems unlikely, since the localcompetent agencies may only rarely engage pro-fessional paleontologists (Beglieri and Massa,2004). Other criticisms have been aimed at the

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deficient wording of the act’s text (Endere, 2002)and, which is far worse, at its unconstitutionalnature for not complying with the Argentinian Con-stitution and Civil Code (Beglieri and Massa,2004). In fact, Act Nº 25743 was amended in 2011to specifically fix these two last issues (H.C.N.A.,2011).

It has also been said that this law interfereswith the right to the private property (Beglieri andMassa, 2004) by supposedly enabling sponta-neous confiscations of private collections, and thushindering the participation of private collectors inmatter of heritage and criminalizing them. Never-theless, it must be said that Act Nº 25743 sets veryclear rules regarding the duties of individuals inpossession of paleontological or archaeologicalcollections acquired prior to its enactment. Underno circumstance are they to be criminalized for thesole possession of fossils or archaeologicalobjects, providing that they complied with the ruleof reporting their collections to the National Regis-tries within a 90-day period from the date of enact-ment of Act Nº 25743. Following the reporting ofthe collection, the private collector retains its pos-session. Only when after this term expired and thecollector failed to report his/her possessions, itshall be presumed that a person holding such col-lection came into its possession illegally, which willbring about its confiscation.

Criticism from the Argentinian paleontologicalcommunity has been aimed mainly at the ineffi-ciency of the bureaucratic system established bythe local competent agencies, meaning that insome cases they are under-prepared to carry outtheir tasks. Some setbacks that were identified are:problems with the issuing of licenses for field-

works—refusals, delays—that cause researchersto have to cancel or postpone fieldtrips, problemswith the access to collections housed in differentrepositories, and overlapping of research projectsand study areas between different research groups(Roundtable on Heritage, 2010; Second Workshopon Heritage, 2010).

A major concern of a great part of the Argen-tinian paleontological community is the illegal traf-ficking of fossils that survives in spite of the currentlegislation. In 2003, the Argentinian Committee forthe Prevention and Fight Against the Illegal Traf-ficking of Cultural Assets (Comité Argentino para laPrevención y Lucha contra el Tráfico Ilegal deBienes Culturales) was created, being formed bythe National Enforcement Authorities in paleontol-ogy and archaeology, INTERPOL, the ArgentinianNational Gendamerie (Gendarmería NacionalArgentina), the Argentinian Airport Security Police(Policía de Seguridad Aeroportuaria), the Argentin-ian Naval Prefecture (Prefectura Naval Argentina)and the Argentinian General Customs Administra-tion (Administración General de Aduanas),amongst other institutions of the federal govern-ment (Endere, 2002). Their main goal is to joinforces in order to stop illegal trafficking and to pro-mote the implementation of national legislation andinternational agreements on the matter (Endereand Rolandi, 2007). One of the accomplishmentsof this committee was the publication of a Red List(INAPL and MACN, 2005) of endangered paleonto-logical and archaeological heritage. All the institu-tions that form the committee cooperate with eachother in disseminating information and raisingawareness to the community on the matter of heri-tage, and also organizing courses, workshops and

FIGURE 5. Flow chart of the mandatory steps for paleontological fieldwork in Argentina, and the treatment of fossilsspecimens according to Act N°25743.

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talks to help train the non-specialists working withthe enforcement authorities. The committee hasalready made efforts for the safe return of paleon-tological remains illegally transferred outside thecountry (Endere, 2010; Parma, 2010; Parma et al.,2012).

In conclusion, the Argentinian paleontologicalcommunity agrees, at a large extent, that the pro-tection of the paleontological heritage is crucial,and at the same time it is interested in the matterand actively involved in it. It is also deeply con-cerned with the problem of the illegal trafficking.Therefore, the current legislation and the concur-rent efforts of the federal and provincial govern-ments and the national security forces representthe cornerstone upon which to continue working sothat the paleontological heritage can give its fullpotential both to the science and to the Nation’sculture.

COLLECTIONS

Public and private repositories

The Bernardino Rivadavia ArgentinianMuseum of Natural Sciences (MACN) shelters thesix National Paleontological Public Collections:Ameghino (fossil vertebrate specimens originallystudied by Florentino Ameghino), Paleobotany,Paleoinvertebrates, Paleopalynology, Paleoverte-brates, and Ichnology, with a total of nearly106,000 specimens (Ramírez, 2012; MACN,2014). These collections include large repositoriesof different types of fossils coming from all aroundthe country. Particularly, the Paleovertebrates col-lection includes the most important assemblage ofSouth American dinosaurs.

Other institutions which house public fossilcollections are mainly museums, e.g., La PlataMuseum (Museo de La Plata, La Plata, BuenosAires province), Egidio Feruglio PaleontologicalMuseum (Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio,Trelew, Chubut province), Dr. Arturo Umberto IlliaProvincial Museum of Natural Sciences (MuseoProvincial de Ciencias Naturales Dr. ArturoUmberto Illia, Córdoba city, Córdoba province),and universities, e.g., UBA, National University ofCórdoba (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, UNC)and National University of San Juan UniversidadNacional de San Juan, UNSJ).

A few private collections exist. Some areunder the responsibility of private institutions, e.g.,Félix de Azara Natural History Foundation (Fun-dación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara), whileothers are held by individuals. Many of these insti-

tutions have digital catalogues, for example theMACN, although none of them currently haveonline access. Therefore, information on specificspecimens is difficult to obtain without a directinquiry to the curators.

Local collections in foreign countries

The Argentinian paleontologist often faces theissue of having to travel abroad in order to examinelocal, frequently type materials vital for his/herresearch topic. Several collections of Argentinianfossils are kept in museums and other scientificinstitutions around the world, especially in Europeand the USA. This relative dispersion is the resultof several geological-paleontological expeditionscarried out by foreign universities or oil companies,between the second half of the nineteenth centuryand the first half of the twentieth century, usuallyaimed at making the first discoveries in a hithertopoorly explored area. For example, the PrincetonUniversity Expeditions to Patagonia (Argentina andChile, 1896–1899) led by John B. Hatcher col-lected large amounts of Mesozoic and Cenozoicfossil vertebrates, invertebrates and plants, thatare presently kept in the Yale Peabody Museum ofNatural History (vertebrates) and the Paleontologi-cal Research Institution (invertebrates, pars).Some of the foreign scientific expeditions that col-lected Argentinian fossils took place prior to thefirst national legislation protecting the paleontologi-cal heritage (1913), others when it was notenforced.

Fortunately, many Argentinian fossils are wellmaintained and curated in foreign institutions. But,at the same time, there are others, particularly inEurope, which suffered damage or went missing,for instance, during the Second World War.

LOCAL SOCIETIES AND JOURNALS

The Argentinian Paleontological Association (APA)

The Argentinian Paleontological Association(Asociación Paleontológica Argentina, APA) is ascientific, non-profit, non-governmental organiza-tion that promotes and supports the developmentof the discipline in the country. It is a renowned,prestigious institution that brings together the pro-fessional paleontologists and geologists of Argen-tina as well as the students of the careers inpaleontology and geology, and the amateur (Figure6.1). APA also publishes the scientific journalAmeghiniana and the Special Publications, a non-

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periodic journal for the publishing of specific topicsand the contributions from scientific meetings.

It was founded in 1955 by a group of special-ists from different scientific institutions in BuenosAires and La Plata, who established a provisionalExecutive Committee (Stipanicic, 2005). Two yearslater, a new Executive Committee was elected inassembly, and since then, a new one is chosenevery two years.

The main purposes of the APA, deriving fromits Statute (APA, 1978), are as follows: 1) to reuniteall those interested in Argentinian paleontology andstratigraphy; 2) to contribute to the organizationand development of paleontological activities in

Argentina; 3) to organize periodic meetings of sci-entific communication and to sponsor other paleon-tological and/or stratigraphic scientific meetings; 4)to connect amateur paleontology enthusiasts andfossil collectors with professional paleontologistsand research institutions; 5) to contribute to theprotection and care of the paleontological collec-tions and sites; 6) to encourage the disseminationof paleontological knowledge throughout society;7) to edit a scientific journal covering the wholespectrum of paleontological and stratigraphicresearch; and 8) to promote the organization ofspecialization courses on paleontology and otherrelated subjects (APA, 2014b).

FIGURE 6. 1. Logo of the Argentinian Paleontological Asociation (APA). 2. Front cover of an Ameghiniana issue(Vol. 48, Nº1). 3. Diplodocus carnegii Hatcher in the La Plata Museum. Photo by Eliana Coturel. 4. Argentinosaurushuinculensis Bonaparte and Coria in the Carmen Funes Municipal Museum. Graphic scale = 1 m. Photo by theauthors.

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The APA has four offices—with the headoffice in Buenos Aires—and 12 branches within theArgentinian territory, plus two branches abroad—inUruguay and the USA (APA, 2014c).

Every year, in a different city of the country,the association organizes a scientific meeting(Reunión de Comunicaciones de la AsociaciónPaleontológica Argentina) to promote the commu-nication of research results amongst members.Additionally, the association sponsors other localpaleontological meetings, as the Argentinian Con-gress of Paleontology, the Argentinian Conferenceon Vertebrate Paleontology, the Argentinian Sym-posium on the Jurassic, and the Argentinian Sym-posium on Paleobotany and Palynology amongstothers.

As regards the legislation on paleontologicalheritage, the APA is not empowered to act as anenforcement body (Roundtable on Heritage, 2010).However, it is actively involved in the matter andpresently it is part of the Advisory Commission ofthe National Enforcement Authority of Act Nº25743 (Comisión Asesora de la Autoridad de Apli-cación Nacional de la Ley Nº 25743) on paleonto-logical heritage. In this line, the association hasorganized forums of discussion on this topic for thepaleontological community on the occasions of theninth and tenth Argentinian Paleontological Con-gress (APA, 1982; Second Workshop on Heritage,2010).

The APA invites and promotes the member-ship of foreign paleontologists, and especiallyencourages the collaboration of foreign research-ers with Argentinian colleagues. To this end, in1982 the association elaborated a set of ethicalprinciples for paleontological research on Argentin-ian material by or in collaboration with foreignresearchers (APA, 1982).

Journals

Ever since its founding, the APA had theintention to publish a journal specialized in paleon-tology. In 1957, the first number of Ameghinianacame out, named in honor of Florentino Ameghino.This was the first paleontological journal in SouthAmerica, and was under the direction of RaúlRinguelet (Damborenea, 2005). Ameghinianatoday is a bimonthly journal that releases six issuesper year (Figure 6.2); it currently only acceptspapers written in English (Ameghiniana’s EditorialCommittee, 2014). There are over 50 publishedvolumes. In the year 2000, it was included in theindexing system of the Institute of Scientific Infor-mation (ISI), and its contents are depicted in the

majority of international indices (Damborenea,2005). This has made it the most important paleon-tological journal in Latin America. It comprisespapers of all sorts of paleontological topics, as wellas occasional abstract volumes of regional meet-ings. The journal is a reflection of the developmentof paleontology in the country, shown by theincrease over the years in the number of papersand topic diversity. The journal is currently in a pro-cess of expansion, updating, and editorial change(Pol, 2013).

Besides Ameghiniana, other publications non-specialized in paleontology are responsible for thecommunication of papers on paleontological sub-jects in Argentina. The Argentinian Natural Sci-ences Museum Journal (Revista del MuseoArgentino de Ciencias Naturales) was created in1864, and it is the oldest scientific publication in thecountry. This journal is also in process of modifica-tion and overhaul. The Argentinian GeologicalAssociation Journal (Revista de la AsociaciónGeológica Argentina) is another local journal thatoccasionally includes paleontological papers.

SOCIAL ASPECTS AND IMPACT ON SOCIETY

Pre-university education

In the 1970s, a new subject was incorporatedto the high school curricula; it was called Evolution,Comparative Anatomy and Paleontology (Evolu-ción, anatomía comparada y paleontología) (Mas-sarini et al., 2007; Massarini, 2009). However, thereach of the effective implementation of thischange cannot be determined. Two years later, the1976 coup d'état installed a civic-military right-wingdictatorship. During that period, a different systemexisted for the training of natural science teachersfor private education. That system, implemented in1979, excluded the aforementioned subject andincluded as an objective that “school graduatesunderstand nature as God’s creation (Massarini etal., 2007; Massarini, 2009).

Evolutionary concepts were incorporated aspart of biological subjects in education programsfor elementary school (ages 6–12) and high school(ages 13–17) in 1995 and 1997, respectively. Thisoccurred under pressure from ecclesiastic sectors,which drove to the reformulation of content relatedto evolution without any public debate or participa-tion of the educational community (Gvirtz and Val-erani, 1999). As in many Latin American countries,the religious diversity in Argentina is low, withCatholicism as the dominant religion. The pres-ence alone of such topics in national educational

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programs does not guarantee that they will betaught, mainly because of the lack of updated train-ing for teachers (Massarini et al., 2007). Neverthe-less, unlike what happens in some parts of theUSA (Gould, 1999), there is no open public opposi-tion or debate on the teaching of evolution inschools.

Regarding Earth sciences in general, someconcepts related to geological issues areaddressed in national educational programs (CFE,2011a,b, 2012). On a provincial level, some pro-grams give these topics more importance. In theBuenos Aires province, for example, there is a sub-ject called Earth Sciences (Ciencias de la Tierra) inthe last year of high school. Nevertheless, generalpaleontological topics are only included as informa-tive in discussions regarding geological time, geo-logical history and tectonics (DGCE-PBA, 2014). Itwould be desirable to extend this subject, and thepaleontological concepts, in particular, on anational level. Even when basic evolutionary con-cepts are included in middle school curricula, itmight take time for their correct implementation. Ina country of immense paleontological richness,transmission of paleontological knowledge remainssomewhat undervalued in the educational system.

Outreach

Paleontological outreach is relatively recent ina national level. In spite of this, some Argentiniannatural history museums have a long tradition inthis field. The La Plata Museum stands out.Founded in 1884, it has been opened to the publicsince 1888. The museum has included a paleontol-ogy section since 1890 and it is famous worldwidefor its large exhibition of Quaternary fossil mam-mals from the province of Buenos Aires. It was thefirst Argentinian museum to exhibit reconstructionsof complete dinosaur skeletons, including a replicaof the sauropod Diplodocus carnegii Hatcher,donated by the American tycoon Andrew Carnegieto various museums around the world (Figure 6.3;La Plata Museum, 2014).

The MACN, located in the city of BuenosAires, was founded in 1812 (Asúa, 2012). It has along paleontological tradition, with halls dedicatedto dinosaurs, Quaternary mammals, fossil plantsand the origin of birds. In other regions of the coun-try there are younger museums, such as the MEF(Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum),founded in 1988 (MEF, 2012) in Trelew (Chubutprovince), and the Carmen Funes MunicipalMuseum (Museo Municipal Carmen Funes),

founded in 1984 (Jozami, 2014) in Plaza Huincul(Neuquén province).

The main attractions of all these museums aredinosaur exhibitions (Figure 6.4), which provide thegreatest magnet for the interest of the general pub-lic. All these institutions provide guided tours,especially for school students, so the connectionbetween paleontological museums and the generalnon-scientific audience occurs at very early ages.During 2013, approximately 80000 school childrenvisited the MACN (MACN Administration, personalcommun., 2014). Most exhibits are somewhat out-dated in certain aspects, such as the style of oldcuriosity cabinets, but at the same time theyinclude some modern displays with a more scien-tific approach and a greater information quality,highlighting the most spectacular fossils. Often, theabsence of direct contact between the exhibits andthe scientists at these museums is noticeable(Ametrano et al., 2012). In most cases, less atten-tion is given to disciplines not related to large verte-brates.

Paleontology and tourism

Apart from museums, there are other placeswhere visitors are able to encounter fossils inArgentina. Paleontological tourism gained interestin the last decade. In 2006, the First InternationalSymposium on Tourism and Paleontology tookplace in San Luis province. The subject has beendiscussed in other scientific meetings since then(e.g., Twenty-eighth Jornadas Argentinas de Pale-ontología de Vertebrados). Visiting areas rich inpaleontological content, with or without an activeparticipation of the public, is still not widespread inArgentina. Most ongoing projects are located inPatagonia or central-western Argentina. Some arevery local examples while others are regional corri-dors (Perini and Calvo, 2005, 2008; GLR, 2014).They are mostly oriented towards vertebrateremains and are usually associated with alreadyexisting geoparks or natural reserves.

While the possibilities are numerous, paleon-tological tourism still remains underexploited in thecountry. To carry on this kind of initiative wouldentail to guarantee the control and protection of theheritage, as well as the lowest possible environ-mental impact (Apesteguía, 2014).

SUMMARY AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

Paleontology in Argentina has a long history.The first fossil discoveries date back to the mid-eighteenth century. The progress made in recentyears indicates that the discipline continues to

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grow in the country and has promising future pros-pects.

Given than most of the scientific researchdone in Argentina is funded by government agen-cies, the future of paleontology (and many otherscientific disciplines) in the country is directlydependent on whether or not the scientific prog-ress of the country continues to be a national gov-ernment’s priority. For the moment, the funding ofpaleontological projects, the stable number ofresearchers in the area and the increment in thenumber of stipends for graduate students, allappear highly promising. The demand of CPA con-tinues to grow and should be considered an inter-esting alternative to the CIC.

In the last 12 years, two formal degrees inpaleontology were created in Argentina, includingthe first one in Latin America. The number ofincoming students, both national and international,continues to be steady and the great majority ofgraduates have incorporated into the scientific sys-tem.

Countless fossils have been illegally takenfrom our country in the last 100 years. Under theupdated, current law for protection of paleontologi-cal heritage, progress on the subject has beenmade, but a lot remains to be achieved. We believethat some of the problems arising from the imple-mentation of the law are mainly bureaucratic. In acountry of incredible landscape beauty and multi-cultural richness, the inclusion of paleontologicalsites in tourism remains mostly unexploited. Thefew ongoing projects show that this is a promisingarea which conveys employment opportunities andcould also become a potential awareness tool inregard to paleontological heritage protection forlocal and foreign visitors.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are very grateful to Roy Plotnick for hiskind invitation to write this commentary. His helpfuland constructive editorial work greatly improvedthis contribution. CONICET and the Bunge andBorn Foundation are acknowledged for the post-graduate grants given to the authors. The followingpersons and entities are deeply acknowledged:

- R. Misiac and C.A. Diego (Gerencia de Evalu-ación y Planificación, Dirección de Planifi-cación y Evaluación Institucional; CONICET),for their assistance with data on CONICETgrantees and researchers;

- M.B. Aguirre-Urreta (IDEAN-CONICET, UBA), forsharing bibliography and the UBA Paleontol-ogy degree logo;

- DOV (Departamento de Orientación Vocacional,FCEN-UBA), for providing data on the numberof total and foreign students in the Paleontol-ogy degree (UBA);

- A. Pérez (UBA), for her help with understandingthe actual controversy around CPI measure-ments in Argentina;

- S. Casadío (UNRN), for sharing information onthe paleontology degree of the UNRN;

- V. H. Peña Ponce (UHA), for sharing informationon the paleontology degree of the UHA (Mex-ico);

- K. Moreno (UACh), for sharing information on themaster of paleontology degree of the UACh(Chile);

- G. Díaz (MACN, Administration) and V. Iglesias(MACN, Museology), for providing informationabout museum’s visitors;

- E. Coturel (MLP), M. Longobucco (MACN), M.Miñana (MACN) and E. Vera (MACN), for sup-plying photographic material;

- APA and Ameghiniana’s Directive Committee forgranting permission to use images. We would like to clearly state that the opinions

and points of view expressed in this work are ours,and do not necessarily reflect those of our col-leagues. This is contribution R-146 of the Institutode Estudios Andinos Don Pablo Groeber (IDEAN).

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Aguirre-Urreta, M.B., Griffin, M. and Ramos, V. 2009.Darwin’s geological observations in Argentina.Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina, 64:4-7.

ANPCyT (Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica yTecnológica). 2014. FAQs. FONCyT. agencia.min-cyt.gob.ar/frontend/agencia/faq/3

Ameghiniana’s Editorial Committee. 2014. Editorialguidelines. ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghini-ana/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

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