Website: http://www.geologia.unam.mx/igl/museo/index.html
The Collections: The collections in UNAM's Instituto de Geologia are the main storehouse for all Mexican fossils, making it a treasure trove of specimens from throughout Earth history. I visited during my PhD to measure horse and canid specimens from the Miocene, which are particularly abundant from the southern state of Oaxaca. The collections are housed on UNAM's main campus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and easily the most spectacular setting for any of the research I've done, and I had the pleasure of staying in the nearby colonial neighborhood of Coyoacan, making my visit to Mexico City one of the best work trips I've ever taken.
The Exhibits: UNAM's fossil exhibits are housed in the Museo de Geologia, a long but very worthwhile trip north from the main campus. As with the Paris' natural history museum featured a few days ago, a large part of the museum's charm is its classical setting, making it a worthwhile trip even for those that aren't fossil enthusiasts. That said, the fossils are well worth a visit in and of themselves and heavily feature fossil mammals from the Pleistocene, when Mexico was a migratory crossroads between North and South America. The museum is also a must-see for anyone interested in paleoart, as it is, to my knowledge, the only place in the world to see the prehistoric landscapes of José María Velasco, for my money one of the greatest (and certainly the most underappreciated) painters of ancient life.
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