SANTA LUCÍA.- A fascinating new exhibition at the Santa Lucía Paleontological Museum, Quinamétzin, explores the rich history of paleontology in Mexico and the crucial role played by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in preserving this vital part of the nation's heritage. The exhibition, titled INAH and the Fossils: A Look at its History, coincides with the museum's third anniversary, celebrating its opening on February 10, 2022.
Using 12 infographic posters, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through time, from the pre-Hispanic era to modern-day Mexico, showcasing how fossils have been understood, studied, and protected. It reveals the deep connection between the study of ancient life and INAH's mission.
The museum itself houses an impressive collection of nearly 70,000 fossil remains, including mammoths, camels, horses, flamingos, and remnants of plants, microorganisms, and other ancient organisms. This collection, still being cataloged, provides a tangible link to Mexico's distant past.
The exhibition is structured around four key themes, beginning with a clear explanation of what a fossil actually is. It emphasizes the historical and social contexts that have shaped our understanding of fossils, defining them as "organisms that represent individuals, populations or groups carrying information about the evolution and environmental changes that have occurred over time, which can be measured in thousands or millions of years."
Eduardo Corona Martínez, president of INAH's Paleontology Council (Conpal) and curator of the exhibition, along with Norma Lara Barajas and Arantxa Ortiz Rodríguez, have created a compelling narrative that highlights the incredible age of some Mexican fossil records, dating back as far as 2.5 billion years and up to 10,000 years before the present.
The exhibition also explores the fascinating ways Mesoamerican cultures used fossils. Amber, a resin over 20 million years old, was particularly valued as currency, ornamentation, and for ritual purposes. Another striking example is the discovery of two slabs imprinted with 56-million-year-old fossilized fish found at the Palenque Archaeological Zone in Chiapas.
The exhibition further traces the development of paleontological studies through the viceregal period and the 19th century, when geology and paleontology became recognized as specialized sciences. It highlights the establishment of INAH's Prehistory Department in 1952, dedicated to studying the evidence of Mexico's earliest inhabitants and their relationship with the ancient landscapes and organisms they shared it with.
The exhibition concludes with a look at recent discoveries from 2019 to 2024, including the exciting identification of a new dinosaur species, Tlatolophus galorum, in Coahuila, and the finding of a Pleistocene flamingo fossil egg.
Intriguingly, many of the exhibition's photographs document work conducted in Xaltocan and Zumpango, State of Mexico, the site of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport. The construction of the airport inadvertently allowed for the study of one of Mexico's most important paleontological sites—the very site that led to the creation of the museum itself.
Since 2017, Conpal has fostered collaboration between universities, specialists, and other organizations to advance paleontological research and fossil protection nationwide, inviting public participation in this important endeavor.
The exhibition INAH and the Fossils: A Look at its History runs until February 15, 2025. Admission is free, with opening hours from Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It offers a unique opportunity to understand the deep history of life in Mexico and the ongoing efforts to protect this invaluable scientific and cultural heritage.
