PALAEONTOLOGY
PHOTO : NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ITALY / NANNI FONTANA
Researchers with fossils in Sahara :
( from left to right ) Dr Simone Maganuco , Dr Matteo Fabbri and
Dr Nizar Ibrahim .
Africa is our planet ’ s second largest land mass but it is really lagging behind . I ’ m helping to establish research collections in Africa highlighting Africa ’ s incredible paleontological heritage and training the next generation of young African students and researchers .
“ Decolonisation is not just about returning things from a museum to places where they might actually end up on the black market ,” he continues . “ I ’ m all about long-term capacity building . Equipping the next set of guardians and establishing professional collections .”
All the fossils Dr Ibrahim finds in Morocco are accessioned in Morocco – those that are exported for research are returned after study . His research collection at the University of Casablanca has recently received some funding he intends to spend on cabinets with humidity and temperature controls , as well as a small display area . Establishing a national museum of palaeontology in Morocco is a long-term plan . Having become a regular on Moroccan evening news , talking about discoveries in the Maghreb and fielding questions about flying reptiles and swimming Spinosaurus , he is hopeful .
“ Suddenly there is this real interest in palaeontology ,” he says . “ For a long time , people didn ’ t realise what incredible riches they had in their backyard .”
And what a backyard . Asked to cite his favourite book on the Sahara , Dr Ibrahim quotes Antoine de Saint-Exupery , Saharaphile and author of The Little Prince : “ I have always loved the desert . One sits down on a desert sand dune , sees nothing , hears nothing . Yet through the silence , something throbs , and gleams …”
Dr Ibrahim pauses , flashes a grin . “ That is really spot on ,” he says .
ISSUE 04 / 2022 33