Plaza Huincul is far from being a classic tourist destination. This statue and the museum are about it.

But for 20 years I've dreamt of coming here, to see the remains of giants like Argentinosaurus, in the lands they used to roam. And I'm very lucky and glad I could make this dream come true 🦕 🪏

The new discoveries do illuminate what Argentinosaurus might have looked like - with 7 vertebrae and a few other bones, we can't know too much. The 2003 skeletal mount at the museum is now outdated, but still captures the absolute size of the animal.
Other replicas are on show, like Giganotosaurus

Despite the discovery of newer, more completely known giants like Patagotitan, the remains of Argentinosaurus still give it a leading edge for the title of largest land animal known (even if some other verts might have been a little longer, looking at BYU 9024 👀).

(I had a thread or two prepared about the great natural history museums in this country, but they failed last time - so will upload them in another day)

Today I've visited Plaza Huincul, specifically to see the real fossils of one particularly big creature: Argentinosaurus!

Many wildlife stories, memories and photos I hope to share someday, but I'll start with the most recent.
Since October I've been travelling around Argentina. For over 20 years, I dreamt of coming here, one of the most fossil rich countries on earth - with a particularly extensive dinosaur record 🦴

Trying to get back to some activity on bluesky!

I finished my M.Sc. earlier this year and for the past 6 months I've been travelling through South America, north to south.
I've been to amazing places: the Galápagos, the Amazon river and rainforest, trekking the Peruvian Andes, and many others...

Cyprus warblers - tiny, beautiful birbs. Caught them in a migration stopover, between the Nubian desert to Cyprus

A poignant #WomenInScience day for the macroevolutionary community, as we are informed that Elizabeth Vrba passed away this week. All who knew her tell of a brilliant, innovative thinker and skilled, pioneering paleontologist. My current research is directly and proudly influenced by hers.
R.I.P.

While definitely imperfect, it is nice to see this movie get some accalim today (not to mention VFX that hold up very well!).

The second dinosaur ever named, among the 3 defining members of the group - and forever a number 1 for me. Not the biggest or weirdest, Iguanodon has its own charm.

Today is Iguanodon's 200th anniversary. A good chance to focus on little positivity among it all.

My passion for extinct life and the natural world at large, began with Disney's Dinosaur (2000) and the protagonist, Aladar the Iguanodon. My identity today was set in course by his story.