Nature selects images of the juvenile tapir from Camp dels Ninots among its June Images of the Month
It is the first time that photographs from an IPHES-CERCA research project have been featured in this international editorial selection
Images of the juvenile tapir skeleton discovered during the 2026 excavation season at the Camp dels Ninots site (Caldes de Malavella, Girona, Spain) have been selected by Nature for its June Images of the Month, an editorial feature that each month highlights some of the most remarkable scientific photographs published by research institutions and centres worldwide.
The selection includes three photographs documenting the excavation of this exceptional Tapirus arvernensis specimen, recovered in anatomical connection and preserved in an extraordinary state of conservation. The images are featured through Nature’s website, blog and international newsletter.
This is the first time that photographs from an IPHES-CERCA-led research project have been included in this editorial selection, further strengthening the international visibility of both the institute and the Camp dels Ninots site.
In this regard, Dr Gerard Campeny, Head of Scientific Communication at IPHES-CERCA and co-director of the Camp dels Ninots research project, explains: “This selection shows that outstanding research, when carefully documented and communicated, can also achieve significant international visibility. It recognises not only the quality of the research itself, but also the way it is documented and shared with both the scientific community and society.”
The selected images capture different stages of the excavation of the juvenile tapir, one of the most important discoveries of the 2026 field season. The specimen expands one of Europe’s most significant collections of fossil tapirs and provides new insights into the ecosystems that inhabited this region more than three million years ago.
According to Dr Bruno Gómez de Soler, co-director of the Camp dels Ninots research project, “The exceptional preservation of this skeleton provides invaluable information about the biology of Pliocene tapirs and the environment in which they lived. Having these images selected by Nature also offers an excellent opportunity to showcase internationally the uniqueness of the site and the research carried out there.”
Beyond their visual impact, the photographs form part of the scientific documentation produced during the excavation and constitute an essential resource for both research and scientific communication. Their selection by Nature highlights the importance of combining scientific excellence with rigorous communication to increase the international visibility of research projects.
Camp dels Ninots is one of Europe’s most outstanding palaeontological sites for the study of Pliocene ecosystems. The exceptional preservation conditions of its ancient volcanic lake have yielded nearly complete vertebrate skeletons, plant remains and a wealth of palaeoenvironmental evidence, offering a unique window into landscapes that existed more than three million years ago.