THE ORIGIN OF “EL HOMBRE EN EL PLATA”: ON THE BIRTHDATE AND BIRTHPLACE OF FLORENTINO AMEGHINO (1853-1911)

Abstract

Florentino Ameghino was among the most prolific and influential paleontologists of South America. He left a vast body of scientific work, of considerable relevance even today, but also many open questions related to his enigmatic life and personality. One of these obscure aspects has surely been the absence of reliable geographical and chronological information on his birth. For more than a century, the main hypothesis was that Ameghino was born in the city of Luján (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina) on the 18th of September, 1854. However, recent evidence reveals that Ameghino was undoubtedly born in Moneglia (Liguria, northwestern Italy) on the 19th of September, 1853. The reasons for this prolonged debate may lie in the intentional concealment of this information by Ameghino himself, but also in the ideological exploitation that shaped his persona after his death. This new evidence, far from being merely of passing interest, is here presented and analyzed, allowing new light to be shed on the life, personality, and sociohistorical context of Florentino Ameghino.

Keywords

• Ameghino
• Argentina
• Burmeister
• Capellini
• Italy
• Luján