Research paper

The palaeontology: the stone guest of the Spanish Historical Heritage Law of 1985

---

JORGE MORALES
Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC – C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain. jorge.morales@mncn.csic.es
Corresponding author

---

ABSTRACT

The Spanish Historical Heritage Law of 1985 after almost 35 years of its enactment continues to be seen from the field of Natural Sciences with skepticism not exempt from rejection. In this paper, we review the origins and causes of the inclusion of Paleontology and Geology in this law, as well as the consequences of its application. It is concluded that only from the universities a joint plan can be addressed that avoids the fragmentation and undervaluation of the paleontological collections, through the development of a national network of paleontological collection.

---

Key words: Palaeontology, heritage, legislation, collections, conservation, research.

How to cite: Morales, J. 2019. La Paleontología: el convidado de piedra de la Ley de Patrimonio Histórico de 1985. [The palaeontology: the stone guest of the Spanish Historical Heritage Law of 1985]. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 34 (1), 3-16.

Received 4 March 2019, Accepted 23 May 2019, Published 30 June 2019

https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.34.1.15267

---

  (Spanish only)