History

The history of the institute dates back to 1949 when the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU), within its fourth division (Division of Natural Sciences and Medicine), established the Institute of Geology. The institute's operating regulations were adopted at the assembly of the Academy on March 21, 1950. Over time, the institute's work became focused entirely on paleontology, leading to its renaming as the Institute of Paleontology in 1966. In 1986, it was named after its longtime director, the globally recognized specialist in Ice Age mammals and versatile natural sciences researcher, Acad. Prof. Ivan Rakovec (pictured on the left). Since 1981, when the Research Center was established at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the institute has been its integral part.

The institute has always had extensive collaboration with related institutions both domestically and internationally. It has been involved in projects conducted in Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Iran, and Oman.

Among Slovenian geological institutions, the institute was until the early 1990s known primarily for its paleontological and stratigraphic research. Taxonomic and paleoecological studies of Mesozoic reef organisms (corals and sponges) have the longest tradition, and we can proudly say that the Mesozoic reefs in Slovenia are among the most thoroughly studied fossil reefs in the world. For several decades, the institute has conducted research on fossil single-celled organisms – Tertiary and recent benthic foraminifera and Mesozoic radiolarians. Mesozoic vertebrates (dinosaurs and crocodiles) and especially Ice Age mammals, which were already studied by Ivan Rakovec, hold an important place. Modern methods enable the examination of their population dynamics and relationships between prehistoric humans and the animal world.

The organisms studied by the institute's researchers lived in various environments: on land (dinosaurs and other Cretaceous vertebrates, Quaternary mammals), in shallow coastal seas (benthic foraminifera, corals, sponges), and in deep-sea intracontinental basins and oceans (radiolarians). As a result, their remains are found in diverse sedimentary rocks. In the past decade, the institute has placed special emphasis on sedimentology. Research that involves understanding the sedimentological characteristics of rocks, as well as the age and diversity of fossil inventory, allows for a comprehensive interpretation of different depositional environments, determining their geographic relationships over time, and reconstructing the complex geological history of a specific area.

Co-workers:
Ivan Rakovec, Director 1950 - 1983
Cveto Germovšek: 1951 - 1955
Rajko Pavlovec: 1955 - 1972
Dragica Turnšek: 1954 - 1992, Director 1983 - 1992
Milojka Žalik Huzjan: 1972 - 1989
Katica Drobne: 1972 - 1997, Director 1992 -1996
Franc Cimerman: 1979 - 1997
Kata Cvetko Barić: 1980 - 2020
Špela Goričan: 1983- ; Head of the Institute 1996 - 2021
Iztok Sajko: 1989 - 1994
Irena Debeljak: 1990 - 
Adrijan Košir: 1993 - 
Barbara Kotnik: 1994 - 1998
Andrej Šmuc: 1999 - 2005
Tom Popit: 2002 - 2009
Alenka Eva Črne: 2004 - 2009
Aleksander Horvat: 2004 - ; Head of the Institute 2021 -
Glenn S. Jaecks: 2004 - 2009
Vasja Mikuž: 2004 - 2015
Nina Zupančič: 2004 - 
Miloš Bartol: 2008 - 2013
Duje Kukoč: 2009 - 2015
Andrea Martín Pérez: 2012 -
Tim Cifer: 2016 -
Vanessa E. Johnston: 2018 - 2021
Filip Litera: 2020 -
Anja Kocjančič: 2020 -
Urša Klun: 2020 -

References

Košir, A., Goričan, Š., Debeljak, I., Otoničar, B. & Turnšek, D. 1999. Vodnik po ekskurziji. Ob 50. obletnici ustanovitve Paleontološkega inštituta Ivana Rakovca. 20 str., Založba ZRC. Ljubljana. (PDF)
Pavlovec, R. 1971. O delu inštituta za paleontologijo SAZU v letih 1950 do 1970. Geologija 14, 235-245. (PDF)
Letna poročila o delu ZRC SAZU