L'impero dei dinosauri: l'ascesa dei mammiferi. Scienza, arte e natura si incontrano a Roma (The empire of the dinosaurs: the rise of mammals. Science, art, and nature meet in Rome)

The exhibition at the Botanical Garden Museum of Rome – Sapienza Cultura Museum Centre is a new educational project combining scientific rigor and emotional impact. The initiative, promoted by the Paleontological Association A.P.P.I., is open until early May 2026. The historic Botanical Garden Museum, with its over 3,000 plant species, is transformed into a veritable prehistoric garden in the heart of Rome.

Palms, bamboo, and ferns frame the fascinating tale of the great extinction that marked the end of the dinosaur era and the subsequent development of life, with the progressive emergence of the mammalian class. The exhibition, conceived by an Italian team with the advice of professional paleontologists, places the connection between science and art at its core; the display is also designed to offer up-to-date content alongside the latest research advances.

Visitors are taken on a journey into our planet's past, exploring the period of geological transition and the impact of climate change on evolution. The animal reconstructions are all life-size and reproduced with scientific rigor. Among the specimens on display, which range from imposing creatures to tiny models like the famous mammal Cronopio (known as Scrat from Ice Age), there are also sections dedicated to the foundations of paleontology and discoveries made in Italy.

Scientific coordination: Fabio Attorre, Department of Environmental Biology; organizational coordination: Caterina Giovinazzo, Sapienza Museum Centre.

Photo: official poster of the exhibition