Geociências no Rio Grande do Sul: o Museu de Paleontologia da UFRGS - Irajá Damiani Pinto

Abstract

The state of Rio Grande do Sul is an important place for paleontological and geoscientific discoveries, housing fossils of global importance, especially those related to the Triassic period. Important scientists linked to Geosciences are from the state, among them Irajá Damiani Pinto, who, when starting a collection with the aim of supporting the educational and scientific activities carried out at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, began to gather fossils initially collected by himself in the 1940s, giving rise to a collection that expanded over the decades, becoming the genesis of the UFRGS Paleontology Museum - Irajá Damiani Pinto. Over the years, the museum grew, becoming one of the most important institutions active in the preservation and study of fossils in Latin America, with more than 30 thousand pieces in its collection. In addition to being a space for academic research, the museum plays a prominent role in scientific dissemination and informal education, receiving not only countless spontaneous visitors, but also school groups, university students, postgraduate students, researchers and scientists. The UFRGS Paleontology Museum - Irajá Damiani Pinto preserves and disseminates the geoscientific heritage of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, thus democratizing academic knowledge and seeking to make it accessible to everyone.