Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna

Who was Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna?

Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna was a Brazilian naturalist from the state of Minas Gerais, who founded the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, in Belém, and undertook important research in the archeology and natural resources of the lower Amazon River valley.

In 1870, he discovered one of the most important units of Cenozoic fossils in Brazil: Pirabas.

In two letters published by the National Museum, recorded his observations on the shell mounds installed in the "dark and swampy" regions on the east coast of Para, which he excavated, measured, topographed and mapped, making notes on their condition conservation and major events archeological - human bones, lithic and ceramic artefacts - describing them and locating them in their stratigraphic layers.

The Ferreira Penna Scientific Station in Melgaço, Pará state, Brazil, is named after him, as are various Amazon River boats.