At the Goulandris Museum of Natural History

Here we go with a big post on the Goulandris Museum of Natural History at Athens. Here is a random detail, an algae-shaped lighting fixture at the ceiling of the hall of botany.

Founded in 1964 by the Greek philantrophist Aggelos Goulandris, the museum has one of the weirdest reconstructions of the early theropod dinosaur Syntarsus rhodesiensis. With dinosaur reconstructions evolving as our information about these creatures increases, such errors have to be overlooked.

A fossil crinoid, or sea lily. My friend Stanton will doubtless be able to identify its genus.

Here is a skeleton of Testudo hermanni, the common tortoise. Poor turtle! I wonder what happened to his left hand. And right foot.

Back when people didn't believe species could run out, mounting rare birds in elaborately-arranged displays was very popular. These Quetzals (Pharomachrus sp.) are one such example.

I regret that I couldn't get the proper scientific names of these interesting crabs.

But I know what this is... This is Mormolyce phylloides, a violin-beetle. These beetles use their elongated heads to probe small cracks and crevices for prey. If you want to see more, visit this small but -packed- museum as soon as possible!