I’m a paleontologist and anatomist, and I have a passion for mammals, particularly those from South America. I hope to inspire that same passion in you.

What is so fascinating about South American mammals? In short, they come in a remarkable variety of shapes and sizes, and the diversity of modern species pales in comparison to that of extinct ones. For some concrete examples, check out my book on the extinct mammals of South America, Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys. Its text is accompanied by elegant reconstructions by Velizar Simeonovski that bring these extinct species to life in vivid detail.

My goal with this blog is to provide you, the reader, with the latest information on the sites, species, and subjects touched upon in Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys as well as the mammals that now call South America home. My blog’s title refers to what is undoubtedly one of the most incredible events in the history of South American mammals: the trans-oceanic crossing of monkeys from Africa to South America more than 30 million years ago. It seems appropriate because – like a monkey adrift on the Atlantic – I have high hopes, but my precise trajectory remains to be determined.