'The Institute'

Most days here I get up at 8 and go to the institute, This is where I am working, taking pictures and studying fossil material. Research is going great, making some unexpected discoveries that I'm sure will surface in the future (if you're thinking 'ecological signals in fossil freshwater crustacea!?', then yes, you guessed right). My hosts here are awesome, funny, kind and sincere, it is a real encouragement to be around other people so passionate about palaeontology and evolution, I often forget to realize that I am the only active palaeobiologist in my university and I really miss waxing scientific with increasing excitement over some minor detail and convincing ourselves of the discoveries significance. I love my job.

Anyway, enough 'Squee!'-ing about my awesome vacation research, here are some pictures of  'the institute'...

As you can see, it is a very harsh working environment. It's surprising anyone would sign up for this.

I was taken out by the two grad students in the lab (Lara & Mateo) last night to buy local Argentinian wine from a nearby bodega and then to a restaurant on the river to eat Pacú, the local river fish. I have to say this was one of the tastiest teleosts I've ever eaten, baked in a bag with cheese, walnuts, mushroom and potato. Bloody brilliant. The highlights of today included Mateo manning the BBQ to produce some fine Argentine beef:

nom nom nom. This meal was served at 1pm with wine, in the lab and lasted until 4pm. I hope you're taking notes Northern hemisphere!

This dude wanted in, but we don't want no vertebrates.

This guy however, made my day. Possibly the best behaved spider in the world. I named him Sid and we went through something similar to the sketch scene in Titanic, but without Kate Winslet. Or a boat. Or a drawing. Whatever. LOOK AT THE PRETTY SPIDER! HE'S LOOKING AT YOU!