The Elephant on the Dodo Carousel

Paris ~ October 14, 2008
Jardin des Plantes

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A Giraffe at the Cabinet

Paris ~ October 14, 2008

Cabinet d'Histoire, Jardin des Plantes
See more photos of this giraffe

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Gorilla, Giant Panda, and Dodo Bird on the Dodo Carousel

Paris ~ October 14, 2008
Jardin des Plantes

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A Mammoth on Rue Buffon

Paris ~ October 14, 20008

Outside the Natural History Museum

in the Jardin des Plantes

There is an amusing story linking mammoths with the famous French naturalist, Buffon, and in fact with Thomas Jefferson. (Start at the bottom of this page.) When we study history, we often learn the facts and stories that keep famous people and events compartmentalized in our minds. "Buffon relates to France and to animals. The end." But history is so much more textured. When I took this photo, I coudn't remember much about Buffon except that he studied and attempted to classify hundreds or probably thousands of animals. While checking up on mammoths and Buffon for ths post, I learned that Buffon had made a statement that Old World fauna (including humans) were, comparatively, so much larger and more robust than their New World counterparts. This irked Thomas Jefferson (a man 6' 2" tall) to the point that he made lists of animals that were larger on this side of the Atlantic and presented it to Buffon. Apparently the argument went on for some time, and on a visit, Jefferson packed over to France the hide of an exceptionally large mountain lion to prove his point.

As for the mammoths, I haven't made a study of where each one lived and what size it was. They seem to have roamed over much of the Earth and the size varied from place to place. I'd never thought about that, either, and someday when I have nothing else to do. . . .

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Triceratops on a Carousel

Paris ~ October 14, 2008

Jardin des Plantes

Here's a Triceratops, another animal in the series from the delightful and thought-provoking Dodo Carousel of Extinct and Endangered Animals. Check out the giant panda looking rather pensive in the background.

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Sivatherium: Not A Modern-day Giraffe

Paris ~ October 14, 2008

On the Dodo Carousel of extinct and endangered animals in the Jardin des Plantes are several extinct Sivatheria (singular: Sivatherium). Bleary-eyed in the dusk after a long walk, I thought they were giraffes. I was delighted to find that they were something much rarer in my experience, and I began to look at the rest of the animals. . . . I blogged about the carousel on my personal blog here, and someone else has blogged it here. You can learn more about Sivatherium on Wikipedia and Laelaps.

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Stork

Paris ~ October 14, 2008

Jardin des Plantes

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A Glyptodont You Can Ride In

Jardin des Plantes, Paris ~ October 14, 2008

I love the realism of these extinct and endangered animals on the Dodo Carousel. There was a plaque next to the carousel explaining what each animal was and giving the scientific name. After all, the Jardin des Plantes is one of the homes of the science of zoology as we know it. The glyptodont is an extinct relative of the armadillo.

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Greeter at the Museum

Paleontology Museum, Jardin des Plantes, Paris ~

October 14, 2008

Fortunately this stegosaurus near the front entrance to the Paleontology Museum moves slowly and seems to have a good disposition. I love it that the plantings in this area are some of the most ancient plants still existing.

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